PALM BEACH, Fla. — WARNING: This story contains graphic details of a murder scene.
A physically disabled Florida man died after his wife stabbed him more than 140 times and bludgeoned him with a meat cleaver in their Palm Springs Home, police confirmed Sunday.
Joan Burke, 61, was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail Sunday morning in the Palm Beach County Jail, USA Today reported.
According to the police report, 41-year-old Ricardo Green called 911 on the night of Feb. 11 to say that he came home from work and found his stepfather, Melvin Weller, 62, lying on the floor in a pool of blood, WPTV reported.
In addition to blood covering more than half the kitchen floor, first responders noticed blood spatters and smears on the walls, kitchen cabinets and counters, and also located several knives and a meat cleaver in the kitchen sink, the TV station reported.
Family members told investigators that Weller’s disabilities included difficulty walking and poor grip strength, USA Today reported.
According to WPTV, police found Burke lying in bed, alert and conscious but refusing to speak.
An autopsy later revealed that in addition to the more than 140 stab wounds, Weller also suffered a skull fracture caused by a blow from a meat cleaver to the right rear area of his head, the TV station reported.
Weller had filed for divorce from Burke in December, USA Today reported, citing court records.
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