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Beth Peterson of Aston Township is accused of killing her partner of eight years, Matthew Wilcox, according to a criminal complaint filed by police in a Delaware County court.
Investigators wrote that they were called to the couple's home on Blackthorne Lane around 7:20 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28.
They arrived to find Wilcox unconscious on the kitchen floor with a stab wound to his chest, with Peterson performing CPR on him, authorities said.
A steak knife was found in the kitchen sink, and blood was spotted on the floor, they added.
Wilcox was rushed to Crozer Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes after the 911 call, according to the affidavit.
Peterson told an officer at the scene that Wilcox had come home around 5:30 p.m. and "she believed he was intoxicated." She called his mother to the home to mediate an argument about his drinking, the documents say.
The victim's mother told police that she and Peterson spoke privately outside when she arrived, and that "Peterson related her frustration with Matthew's alcohol abuse."
When they went back in, Wilcox's mother "spoke with Matthew about his drinking issues with Peterson chiming in periodically," the criminal complaint says. She told police her son "became argumentative" but said he "never made any verbal or physical threats" to her or Peterson during the conversation.
The victim's mom also described her son's relationship as "toxic for both parties," claiming she had previously seen "scratch marks and/or bruising on Matthew that he admitted came from Peterson."
"Eventually, (Wilcox's mother) got the situation to a point where she felt comfortable leaving," police wrote. She added that Peterson "appeared normal," with "no visible signs of physical injuries" and no indication she was "in fear for her safety(.)"
According to the affidavit, Peterson told officers she stabbed Wilcox in the chest when he "came at her while she was in the kitchen," but that she never said she was "physically assaulted or injured" before the stabbing.
"I just ruined my life," she allegedly told an officer at the scene.
At Peterson's arraignment early on Tuesday, Aug. 29, she was denied bail due to the nature of her charges, court records show. She is due back in court for her preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
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