Aspiring Pastor Accused of Killing Wife in His Sleep Blames Cold Medicine

[InTheLight]

A 28-year-old North Carolina man is facing a murder charge after allegedly stabbing his wife in bed — but the newlywed claims he doesn’t remember carrying out the alleged crime because he might have done it in his sleep, PEOPLE confirms.

Matthew Phelps, of Raleigh, called police distraught early Friday morning, declaring that his wife, Lauren, was dead on their bedroom floor covered in blood.

“I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she’s dead on the floor,” he says in a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE. “I have blood all over me and there’s a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it. I can’t believe this.”

Phelps’ [..] studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Lauren was a Sunday school teacher and Phelps was studying to be a pastor, a friend told ABC.

Aspiring Pastor Accused of Killing Wife in His Sleep Blames Cold Medicine: ‘I Can’t Believe I Did This’

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo.

 

[Reynolds]

A 28-year-old North Carolina man is facing a murder charge after allegedly stabbing his wife in bed — but the newlywed claims he doesn’t remember carrying out the alleged crime because he might have done it in his sleep, PEOPLE confirms.

Matthew Phelps, of Raleigh, called police distraught early Friday morning, declaring that his wife, Lauren, was dead on their bedroom floor covered in blood.

“I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she’s dead on the floor,” he says in a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE. “I have blood all over me and there’s a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it. I can’t believe this.”

Phelps’ [..] studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Lauren was a Sunday school teacher and Phelps was studying to be a pastor, a friend told ABC.

Aspiring Pastor Accused of Killing Wife in His Sleep Blames Cold Medicine: ‘I Can’t Believe I Did This’

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo.

Unless he has PTSD, I bet he is telling a big fat lie.

 

[LowOiL]

I have managed to punch my wife in my sleep during a dream by mistake (didn't hurt her).. I have woke up to my wife pinching me in her sleep because I had an elbow in her side. We laugh and call it spousal "sleep defense". But this is pretty far outside the realm of plausible IMHO. That said, I don't do sleep meds for the most part, have no idea just how deep the blur between reality and dreams last.

 

[Alcott]

He blames it on cold medicine?? I don't think this can be blamed even on HOT medicine.

 

[Adonia]

Now all he needs to do is convince one juror of his claim and he walks.

 

[Reynolds]

Now all he needs to do is convince one juror of his claim and he walks.

No, convince one juror and he gets tried a second time. Convince 11 and he still may get tried a second time.

 

[Jerome]

Aspiring Pastor Was 'Obsessed' With Film American Psycho

“It was learned that Matthew Phelps was obsessed with the movie ‘American Psycho’ and [his] Instagram account shows numerous photographs of scenes from the movie and Phelps dressed as the main character,” a detective wrote in the documents. “The movie is about a serial killer, and Phelps expressed interest to a friend regarding what it would be like to kill someone.”

Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps, 29, suffered 123 cuts and stab wounds in the attack...Matthew Phelps allegedly “was spending more money than the couple made”...Lauren Phelps allegedly “had recently taken drastic steps to limit her husband’s spending”...[and] was “preparing to end the relationship”

 

[JonC]

Ah....the "rest of the story".

 

[carpro]

I wonder how long he sat there, with his dead wife, dreaming up that cockamamie story before he called 911?

Long enough to be sure she was dead, for sure.

 

[Reynolds]

I have managed to punch my wife in my sleep during a dream by mistake (didn't hurt her).. I have woke up to my wife pinching me in her sleep because I had an elbow in her side. We laugh and call it spousal "sleep defense". But this is pretty far outside the realm of plausible IMHO. That said, I don't do sleep meds for the most part, have no idea just how deep the blur between reality and dreams last.

My wife sleeps in separate bed because I have hit her very hard in my sleep several times. Having said that, I do have PTSD.

 

[Jerome]

He just pled guilty:

Man Who Appeared to Blame Cold Medicine for Wife's Murder Pleads Guilty

"An aspiring pastor in North Carolina who said he discovered his wife fatally stabbed after waking from a haze he blamed on cold medicine has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder....His plea to first-degree murder implies premeditation, countering the possibility that the murder was committed in a cold-medicine induced haze."

"Phelps will spend the rest of his life in jail....As part of the plea agreement, Phelps will not be eligible for parole."

"An autopsy showed that Lauren suffered 123 cuts and stab wounds in the attack"

"Lauren was a Sunday school teacher and Matthew was studying to be a pastor....he studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College"

"'Phelps was obsessed with the movie ‘American Psycho’ and [his] Instagram account shows numerous photographs of scenes from the movie and Phelps dressed as the main character,' a detective wrote in the documents. 'The movie is about a serial killer, and Phelps expressed interest to a friend regarding what it would be like to kill someone.'"

"when Phelps was interviewed by police after the killings, he showed little emotion"

"In documents used to obtain seven search warrants after the murder, investigators revealed that tensions had allegedly erupted between the couple over finances; that Phelps allegedly 'was spending more money than the couple made'; and that Lauren allegedly 'had recently taken drastic steps to limit her husband’s spending'"

Raleigh man who once blamed cold medicine for making him stab his wife to death pleads guilty :: WRAL.com

"The couple's checking account was drained....investigators said they found $1,200 worth of iTunes and XBox subscriptions – money used to fund Phelps' video game play."