‘I Couldn’t take it anymore’: 93-year-old man fatally cut his wife’s throat

A 93-year-old man in Pekin, Illinois, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly fatally attacking his wife during an argument related to their plans for divorce.

According to the Pekin Police Department, James Pate is accused of killing his wife, 80-year-old Cheryl Pate, on Tuesday. The incident occurred while the couple was sitting in their vehicle, during what police described as a heated confrontation.

An affidavit filed by the Tazewell County Circuit Clerk states that the couple had been discussing their intention to file for divorce when the argument escalated. James Pate later told investigators that he had been harboring intense, repressed anger and “couldn’t take it anymore.”

During the argument, James Pate reportedly pulled the car over. He claimed Cheryl lunged at him in an attempt to scratch his face. In response, he said he pushed her away and struck her. The situation then took a violent turn.

“James stated that he then pulled a knife out of the center console and cut Cheryl’s throat,” the affidavit reads.

Police were called to the 1800 block of South 14th Street, where they found a vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence. Cheryl Pate was discovered on the ground on the passenger side, covered in blood with a deep neck wound. She was unresponsive at the scene.

James Pate was also found nearby, with blood on his clothing. He admitted to officers that he had cut his wife’s throat and told them he had thrown the knife into a wooded area next to the driveway. Officers later recovered the weapon.

Cheryl Pate was transported to a hospital in Peoria, where she was pronounced dead. The Peoria County Coroner’s Office determined that she suffered multiple sharp force injuries to the neck that were “incompatible with life.”

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