Police say a 61-year-old Florida woman stabbed her physically disabled husband more than 140 times and hit him on the head with a meat cleaver to make sure he was dead. Palm Springs police arrested Joan Burke on Sunday on a charge of first-degree murder. According to WPBF, the victim, 62-year-old Melvin Weller filed for divorce from Burke in late December. Weller’s stepson called 911 on Feb. 11 after he arrived to discover Weller lying in a pool of blood that covered more than half of the kitchen floor.An autopsy revealed Weller had been stabbed 140 times and “he also had a skull fracture caused by a blow from a meat cleaver to the right rear of his head.”In the bedroom, police discovered Burke sitting in complete silence. She had multiple cuts on her hands. Attorney Nicole Hamil-Scott was handling divorce proceedings for Weller.”I am out of words as to exactly how I am feeling. This did not need to happen; this could have been dealt with through the courts in the best possible way,” Hamil-Scott said.Hamil-Scott believes millions of dollars in real estate that would have been divided in the divorce could have been a contributing factor. “That could be one of the reasons– under Florida statute, whenever there are marital assets pursuant to the Florida law those marital assets would need to be equitably divided between the parties and certainly without getting too much into attorney-client privilege, the parties had substantial assets between themselves,” Hamil-Scott said. Weller reportedly wanted to split the assets equally and retire to Jamaica.”We remember Mr. Weller coming into our office — a very kind, calm, loving man. This is the last thing we would have expected from filing a dissolution of marriage,” Hamil-Scott said.
Police say a 61-year-old Florida woman stabbed her physically disabled husband more than 140 times and hit him on the head with a meat cleaver to make sure he was dead.
Palm Springs police arrested Joan Burke on Sunday on a charge of first-degree murder.
According to WPBF, the victim, 62-year-old Melvin Weller filed for divorce from Burke in late December.
Weller’s stepson called 911 on Feb. 11 after he arrived to discover Weller lying in a pool of blood that covered more than half of the kitchen floor.
An autopsy revealed Weller had been stabbed 140 times and “he also had a skull fracture caused by a blow from a meat cleaver to the right rear of his head.”
In the bedroom, police discovered Burke sitting in complete silence. She had multiple cuts on her hands.
Attorney Nicole Hamil-Scott was handling divorce proceedings for Weller.
“I am out of words as to exactly how I am feeling. This did not need to happen; this could have been dealt with through the courts in the best possible way,” Hamil-Scott said.
Hamil-Scott believes millions of dollars in real estate that would have been divided in the divorce could have been a contributing factor.
“That could be one of the reasons– under Florida statute, whenever there are marital assets pursuant to the Florida law those marital assets would need to be equitably divided between the parties and certainly without getting too much into attorney-client privilege, the parties had substantial assets between themselves,” Hamil-Scott said.
Weller reportedly wanted to split the assets equally and retire to Jamaica.
“We remember Mr. Weller coming into our office — a very kind, calm, loving man. This is the last thing we would have expected from filing a dissolution of marriage,” Hamil-Scott said.