Joan Burke Palm Springs Florida woman fatally stabs disabled husband, Melvin Weller 140 times. No known motive.
A Florida woman has been charged with murder after stabbing her physically disabled husband more than 140 times at the couple’s family home earlier this month.
Joan Burke, 61, according to investigators stabbed her husband, Melvin Weller, 62 inside the kitchen at their Palm Springs residence.
The disabled man was found by his 41-year-old stepson, Ricardo Green, lying in a pool of blood at the family home on Feb. 11, according to a police report obtained by WPTV.
The stepson called the police who later found multiple knives and a meat cleaver in the sink along with cleaning tools and products found next to the victim’s body.
Blood smears on the walls, ceiling and cabinets of the room were also observed.
Burke was found lying in her bed and not saying a word when first respondents arrived. A police report noted the woman was conscious and alert, while remaining silent.
Police said they found lacerations on her hands.
She was hospitalized and later arrested following an investigation into the deadly stabbing.
An autopsy determined Weller was stabbed over 140 times. He also suffered a skull fracture after being beaten with a meat cleaver.
A woman who appeared to be Weller’s cousin posted a tribute on Facebook.
‘Rest In Peace Cuz…I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you during your final hours on earth (140 stab wounds)…. Still in disbelief. May God comfort the entire Weller family…,’ Nicola Andrews wrote.
Upon her arrest on Saturday, Burke was booked into Palm Springs Main Detention Center according to Palm Springs Police.
No known motive
Burke, who was licensed as a nursing assistant until 2019, appeared in court on Sunday via video-conference and was denied bail.
Weller’s family reportedly said he was physically disabled but did not specify the degree of his condition.
Burke is being held without bond on first degree murder.
Not immediately clear is what led to the woman so ferociously beating and murdering her disabled husband.
