In South Carolina, a judge sentenced a man to life in prison for murdering his wife using a butcher knife.
Anthony Argoe, 60, was convicted of murder for the incident on June 14, 2019. Argoe killed his wife, Lynda Shuler, 55, in their home in Summerville.
According to prosecutors, on the night of the crime, police received a call from the victim’s daughter to check on her mother. After a forced entry, they found her body propped up against the couch, lifeless, with a 19-inch butcher knife in the right side of her neck. Autopsy reports that she also suffered from 14 random stab wounds on her arms, chest, stomach, and face before the fatal blow.
During the prosecution, a witness said that Argoe, referring to his wife, told him, “She would never shut up and that he shut herself for good.”
The jury was able to come to a verdict after 40 minutes of deliberation.
Prior to the crime, witness reports say that the suspect had just quit his job, and stopped paying for their rent, which eventually led to them being evicted from their home. He then proceeded to go on an alcohol binge and purchased multiple lottery tickets.
His wife had enough of the situation and decided to leave him and stay with her daughter. A day before the murder, her things had been packed in a vehicle, ready to go.
Before the victim’s body was found, Argoe was seen passed out on the street and was evaluated by Trident Hospital with an alcohol level of 156 mg/DL confirming that he was intoxicated during the murder. Evidence of the victim’s blood was also found on his clothing.
One of the couple’s neighbors had witnessed loud arguments between the couple, and the victim’s daughter testified that her mother was a victim of domestic abuse for years.
An emotionless Argoe was seen in court during witnesses’ tearful testimonies and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
