(Trigger warning: Descriptions of violence. Reader discretion advised.)
An Indian man, identified as Philip Mathew, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the US state of Florida for the 2020 murder of his 26-year-old wife by stabbing her 17 times and driving over her body.
The incident took place in the parking lot of the Broward Health Coral Springs hospital, where Merin Joy, the victim, was working as a nurse.
According to reports, the couple hailed from Kerala, but there is no clarity on when they moved to the US.
What Happened in 2020?
According to the police, Philip blocked Joy's car, slashed her 17 times, and drove over her body on the ground before he fled the scene.
When one of her co-workers rushed to her aid, Joy reportedly said, "I have a baby." Before she died, however, Joy revealed her attacker's identity, the police added.
More than three years after the incident, on 3 November, Philip pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was immediately sentenced to life in state prison with no possibility of release, plus a maximum of five years for the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The decision was made to waive the death penalty because of the certainty of the life sentence and because the defendant was giving up his right to appeal, said Paula McMahon, spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office.
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