FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A capital murder warrant has been issued for 40-year-old Marcus Joiner after police say he stabbed and killed his 39-year-old wife, Amy Phelps, on the evening of April 16.
On April 18, investigators with the Fayetteville Police Department released their preliminary report identifying Joiner as the suspect in his wife's murder.
According to the report, Amy called 911 just before 9:30 p.m. saying her husband was intoxicated and was "being aggressive." Amy was described as being calm on the phone with the dispatcher before she suddenly began screaming for help and then suddenly stopped responding over the phone.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Amy's body in the road, observing she wasn't breathing and according to the report, "had a knife protruding from her neck." The report went on to say that she was "beyond life-saving measures."
While arriving, officers saw a man with no shirt on with jeans walking away from the body and police identified him in the report as Amy's husband, Marcus. Police said that Marcus was "refusing officer's demands" and entered his home. Several minutes later (after officials say officers had set up a perimeter around the house) Marcus came out with a "puncture wound on the left side of his chest."
The next day, on April 17, Marcus Joiner was arrested for stabbing Amy multiple times and causing her death.
Joiner was later released from the hospital where he was being treated for non- life-threatening injuries and held at the Washington County Jail. He first appeared in court on April 24.
Court documents show that the capital murder warrant for Marcus was issued on May 17, 2023. He plead not guilty on May 22 and his next court date is scheduled for July 11.
Note: Though Joiner is Dr. Phelp's married name, given the circumstances of the case, family and friends ask that she be remembered as Dr. Amy Phelps, using her maiden name.
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