Man accused of killing his wife because he wanted to ‘put her out of her misery,’ police say

CORALVILLE, Iowa. (KCRG/Gray News) - A man in Iowa is accused of killing his wife because he wanted to “put her out of her misery,” according to authorities.

James Martin, 47, was charged with first-degree murder for the stabbing death of his wife Amber Martin.

On January 16, Coralville police responded to a report of a stabbing at around 6:40 a.m.

James’ mother had called to report that he stabbed Amber Martin.

Officers arrived to find Amber suffering from multiple stab wounds. Officers attempted to save her, but she died at the scene.

Investigators found a bloodied knife in the kitchen sink, along with blood smears and bloody clothing at the scene.

James’ mother told officers she arrived at the house around 1 a.m. that morning because her son’s mental health was “spiraling.”

She told police that she fell asleep on the couch and woke up to noises from the laundry room, thinking it was the cat, but then heard, “Help, help me.”

With no light on in the laundry room, James’ mother could see him allegedly stabbing his wife.

According to court documents, James’ mother rushed in and “begged” him to stop, placing herself between them to end the attack.

Court documents show that he allegedly planned the killing hours before he stabbed her with a kitchen knife.

According to a search warrant, James believed the couple was in severe financial distress and did not think they could recover.

Investigators say that he allegedly admitted to killing his wife to “put her out of her misery.”

Authorities sought Martin’s credit card records, spending habits and other financial records to determine the couple’s ability to pay routine expenses.