77-year-old leaves psychologist voicemail saying she killed husband, Arizona cops say
A 77-year-old woman left her psychologist a voicemail saying she killed her husband in self-defense, Arizona police said.
Patricia Gaskill was arrested Jan. 26 on suspicion of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, the Phoenix Police Department said in a probable cause statement.
Police said they responded to the home after her psychologist called 911.
Once cops arrived, Gaskill told them her 78-year-old husband was dead, police said.
They discovered him in the home with wounds on his hands, arms, torso and legs, police said.
Detectives found a knife in a bedroom with blood on it, and Gaskill told police she cleaned the handle, authorities said in the document.
Gaskill told police the incident happened after her husband got angry at her for defecating on herself in the bathroom, police said.
She said he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened to kill her, police said.
But she got the knife from him and stabbed him several times, police said.
Police said she also stabbed herself in both legs and three times in her abdomen.
The medical examiner determined her husband had been stabbed 40 times, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Gaskill is in jail, and her bail was set at $750,000.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 12:01 PM with the headline "77-year-old leaves psychologist voicemail saying she killed husband, Arizona cops say."
