The husband pleads guilty of stabbing his wife 123 times, blames the cough medicine

A husband from North Carolina pleaded guilty to murdering his wife after stabbing her more than 100 times.

Matthew Phelps, 29, of Raleigh, called 911 last September to announce the death of his wife. "I have blood on me and there is a bloody knife on the bed, and I think I have done it," Phelps said during the call. "I can not believe."

He was arrested and charged with murdering his wife, Lauren Phelps, 29 years old. Speaking in court on Friday, Phelps said he "felt like a monster … one of the wretched ones." Part of the darkness we do not talk about. " Phelps says that the cough medicines influenced his state of mind during the murder, he told the Raleigh police that he had taken too much of it. "That can make you feel good and sometimes I do not can not sleep at night. "

A blood test confirmed the presence of cough medicines in the Phelps system, but the rates were not high enough to cause hallucinations or even vertigo. He stabbed Lauren 123 times.

The courtroom was filled with supporters of Lauren's family and friends, most of whom wore a blue T-shirt with the words "Lauren's Light". Lauren's mother, Laurie Hugelmaier, said the death of her daughter had broken her heart and himself.

"Since September 1, 2017, I have trouble dealing with and dealing with the killing of my child," said Hugelmaier, according to Yahoo! New. "There are times when I feel I will not survive it. The actions of Matthew James Phelps have changed forever. "

Lauren's older sister, Beth Agner, said the family welcomed Matthew into the family with open arms. "He seemed to love Lauren despite all the faults she could have and would do anything to make her happy," said Agner. "What we did not know was that he was playing a game." A very deadly game. "He attracted We are all trapped by taking advantage of our kindness and generosity. never thought that Lauren was in danger. "

Phelps was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. He initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea to avoid the risk of the death penalty, according to The news and the observer.

According to the search warrant documents, Phelps was fascinated by the murder. "The suspect Matthew Phelps may have been fascinated by a serial killer character depicted in the American Psycho movie and imitated this character," investigators said. "The movie is about a serial killer and Phelps has expressed his interest to a friend regarding what it would be to kill someone."