Aspiring pastor who stabbed wife brutally blaming it on a cough syrup overdose was obsessed with 'American Psycho' character
29-year-old graduate of bible studies, Matthew Phelps, was accused of stabbing his wife to death in his sleep all because he was obsessed with the Christian Bale film, 'American Psycho'. He had also told his friends about similar fantasies.
Phelps, who is from North Carolina, has been charged with 1st-degree murder after he told the police on September 1, 2017, that he had accidentally killed his wife of less than a year, Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps because he apparently drank too much cough syrup before he went to sleep.
When police officers reached the Raleigh home of the couple that morning, they found Lauren dead on the bed that the couple slept in. Her lifeless body was lying next to a knife soaked with blood. Phelps also said in the emergency call he had made to the paramedics that he was in the middle of a dream at the time and that he woke up, disoriented and saw his dead wife.
The autopsy report revealed later that Lauren had been stabbed 123 times at the couple's residence just before her body was left in a fetal position. A new twist to the case has revealed that friends of the couple told the investigators that Phelps spoke often about his obsession with the serial killer from the film, Christian Bale's character. He had also spoken about the film multiple times on social media.
The alleged killer had posted pictures of himself on his Instagram account dressed up as the main character from 'American Psycho'. The account settings have since been changed to private but it shows the profile picture of Bale's character, Patrick Bateman, covered in blood.
The Charlotte Observer reported a statement in which a detective on the case said: "This Instagram account shows numerous photographs of scenes from the movie and Phelps dressed as the main character." Investigators revealed later that Phelps had gone and told a friend of his that he had an interest in killing.
The detective added: "The movie is about a serial killer, and Phelps expressed interest to a friend regarding what it would be like to kill someone."
After Phelps had his court hearing on September 5, Joseph Cheshire, his attorney, told the Daily Mail that his client was very emotional and traumatized by what he had done. He was also reportedly affected by the loss of his wife. Investigators have said that after his wife Lauren died, Phelps wept at the scene of the crime and said that his wife "didn't deserve this".
Phelps had alleged that he consumed too much of Coricidin HBP, which is a cough and cold medicine before he had the hallucinations and stabbed Lauren in his sleep. A spokesperson for Bayer, the pharmaceutical company, told the Daily Mail that the medicine is not known to have caused any violent behavior in their consumers.
He said: "Bayer extends our deepest sympathies to this family. Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products. There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior."
Among the side effects that this particular medicine is known to cause is confusion, drowsiness, rapid heartbeat, and nausea just to name some.
According to Phelps' Facebook page, he had been working for a landscaping company at the time of the murder. The man does not have any prior criminal record. He also studied evangelism and mission at Kentucky's Clear Creek Baptist Bible College where he graduated from.
The same day that Lauren died, she had shared a video on her Facebook page promoting the line of products that she had been selling for Scentsy, a candle company.
Friends close to the couple had told investigators that the two of them "argued frequently" and that Lauren had told them she had wanted to end the marriage.