The Lauren Hugelmaier case ended on October 5, 2018, when her husband, Matthew James Phelps, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Wake County, North Carolina, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole for stabbing her to death in their Raleigh home on September 1, 2017. Phelps had initially blamed the killing on cold medicine during a 911 call, a claim that unraveled as investigators uncovered violent fantasies, financial ruin, and a marriage Lauren had decided to leave.1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder2ABC News. Husband Who Blamed Cold Medicine Pleads Guilty to Killing Wife
Who Lauren Hugelmaier Was
Lauren Ashley Nicole Hugelmaier was 29 years old. Born June 9, 1988, in Los Angeles County, California, she graduated from Swain County High School in 2007 and from Appalachian State University in 2011. She worked as an auditor at Quintiles, a company that manages drug trials for pharmaceutical firms, and ran a small Scentsy business on the side.3CSW Funeral Home. Obituary for Lauren Hugelmaier4WRAL. Raleigh Man Charged in Wife’s Stabbing Death Appears in Court
She taught Sunday school at Hope Lutheran Church in Raleigh and volunteered with its children’s and youth ministries. She was the daughter of Dale and Laurie Hanks Hugelmaier and had two sisters, Beth Agner and Briana Evans. Her family said she dreamed of one day opening a Hallmark store.5News & Observer. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty in Wife’s Death
The Stabbing and the 911 Call
In the early hours of September 1, 2017, Phelps called 911 from the couple’s Patuxent Drive townhouse. Over seven minutes, he told the dispatcher he had taken “more medicine than I should have,” naming Coricidin Cough & Cold, and said he had a dream, turned on the lights, and found Lauren dead. “I have blood all over me and there’s a bloody knife on the bed,” he said. “I think I did it. I can’t believe this.”6ABC News. Man Tells 911 He Thinks He Killed Wife After Taking Cough Medicine
Police found Lauren with extensive stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at WakeMed. The State Medical Examiner’s autopsy documented 123 sharp-force injuries: 44 to the head, 24 to the torso, 17 to her right arm, and 38 to her left arm. The manner of death was ruled homicide. Prosecutors later called the attack a “protracted struggle,” pointing to the defensive wounds on Lauren’s arms as evidence she fought to survive.7Spectrum News. Autopsy: Raleigh Woman Stabbed by Husband 123 Times1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder
Why the Cold Medicine Story Fell Apart
Bayer, the manufacturer of Coricidin, said there was no evidence its product was associated with violent behavior.8ABC News. Man Charged in Cold Medicine Murder Was Obsessed With American Psycho More important, what investigators found in Phelps’s own life had nothing to do with a bad reaction to cough syrup.
Search warrants uncovered a secret Instagram account under the handle “Marty Radical,” where Phelps posted death-themed images and photos of himself dressed as the main character from American Psycho, a film about a serial killer. Investigators reported that Phelps had told a friend he “wondered what it would be like to kill somebody” and had told a neighbor he frequently thought about grabbing her concealed-carry firearm to shoot himself and others.5News & Observer. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty in Wife’s Death
His defense attorney, Joe Cheshire, acknowledged Phelps had a history of depression and drug abuse, including cold medicine, but said that history “doesn’t excuse his actions.”1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder
Inside the Marriage
Lauren and Matthew married in November 2016. He described himself as an aspiring pastor but could not hold steady employment and had drained the couple’s checking account, spending about $1,200 on iTunes and Xbox subscriptions for video games. Lauren took what prosecutors called “drastic steps” to limit his spending, and the couple argued frequently about money.1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder8ABC News. Man Charged in Cold Medicine Murder Was Obsessed With American Psycho Lauren’s family said she was also a victim of domestic abuse but was too afraid to tell anyone.9ABC News. Family of Woman Killed in Cold Medicine Murder Filled With Regret
Her sister, Beth Agner, said Lauren had decided to leave Matthew after learning he had been unfaithful and told him so on the day she was killed. Agner said she believed Matthew killed Lauren because “he decided she was not gonna leave him.” The family also alleged Phelps had a history of assaulting a prior wife.9ABC News. Family of Woman Killed in Cold Medicine Murder Filled With Regret
The Guilty Plea and Sentence
Phelps pleaded guilty to first-degree murder before Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway on October 5, 2018. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty, and Phelps was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.2ABC News. Husband Who Blamed Cold Medicine Pleads Guilty to Killing Wife
Assistant District Attorney Kristen Fetter told the court that money was “at the root of the couple’s problems” and walked through the evidence of Phelps’s violent fantasies and his obsession with American Psycho. Cheshire called the case “an unending tragedy that has broken everyone’s heart who touched it.”1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder
Lauren’s supporters filled the courtroom in blue T-shirts and pins bearing her image. Her mother, Laurie Hugelmaier, told the court Lauren was “beautiful inside and out.”10Oxygen. North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of Wife Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps1WRAL. Matthew Phelps Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder
Asked afterward whether he could ever forgive Phelps, Dale Hugelmaier said, “No. Never. I mean, I’ll take him to my grave. And I’ll still hate him.”9ABC News. Family of Woman Killed in Cold Medicine Murder Filled With Regret Lauren’s community has since honored her memory under the hashtag #Lauren’sLight.