The North Carolina man who allegedly killed his wife and blamed it on a cold-medicine stupor reportedly had a fascination with “American Psycho.”
Matthew James Phelps, a 29-year-old aspiring preacher, was charged with first-degree murder in the September death of his wife of less than a year, Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps, 29, who was found with 123 stab and cut wounds on her body.
During a Sept. 1 call to 911, Matthew Phelps said: “I think I killed my … there’s blood all over me … and there’s a bloody knife on the bed. I think I did it,” adding that he had taken too much cold medicine.
Newly unsealed search warrants show that the aspiring preacher was obsessed with the main character of the movie “American Psycho,” who was a serial killer, and had an Instagram account under the username @marty_radical, the News & Observer reported.
“It was learned that Matthew Phelps was obsessed with the movie ‘American Psycho’ and this Instagram account shows numerous photographs of scenes from the movie and Phelps dressed as the main character,” a detective wrote in documents filed with the Wake County Magistrate’s Office. “The movie is about a serial killer, and Phelps expressed interest to a friend regarding what it would be like to kill someone.”
The couple was also reportedly having marital problems. Friends of the Phelpses told detectives that the pair “would argue frequently” and were experiencing financial troubles.
Lauren Phelps, the newspaper reported, was “preparing to end the relationship.”
When officers arrived at the Phelps home in North Raleigh in September, they discovered Lauren Phelps in a “fetal position, covered in blood on the bedroom floor,” the autopsy report said. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Matthew Phelps was found with blood on him when authorities arrived, but detectives reported finding evidence that led them to believe he may have cleaned himself up before calling authorities.