Raleigh Man Charged With Stabbing Wife While On Cold Meds Due In Court

A Raleigh man who has been arrested for his wife’s murder while he claimed to be on over-the-counter cold medicine is due in court Tuesday afternoon to face charges.

Matthew James Phelps, 29, was arrested Sept. 1 after he called 911 to report that he believed he stabbed and killed his wife, Lauren Ashley-Nicole Phelps.

“I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she’s dead on the floor,” Phelps said, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. “There’s blood all over me, and there’s a bloody knife on the bed. I think I did it.” (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in Charlotte — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

“I took more medicine that I should have. I took Coricidin Cough and Cold because I know it can make you feel good and sometimes I can’t sleep at night,” Phelps told the dispatcher.

The couple had been married for less than a year, according to the newspaper. After his arrest, Phelps was held without bail.

Lauren Phelps was buried Sept. 4 in Wake Forest, N.C. “Lauren was always full of life and her big smile will be greatly missed by everyone she knew,” read her obituary on Legacy.com, which listed her by her maiden name, Lauren Hugelmaier. “Lauren could always be heard saying that her nephews were one of the most important parts of her life and that she was one proud auntie nini" followed closely by her love for her special fur baby, Cooper Hugelmaier,” it said.

Friends of Hugelmaier’s family have established a memorial fund on YouCaring, and as of Tuesday morning had collected $7,195 towards a $20,000 goal. “As we grieve Lauren's loss, there are financial challenges that lie ahead. This fund will be used to help ease the financial burden for her grieving family. Any amount big or small will be greatly appreciated,” the site page said.

You can read the Raleigh News and Observer report, which includes the 911 recording, here.

Photo via Pixabay

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