A nurse from Kerala was stabbed to death by her husband in the parking lot of a hospital that she worked at, in south Florida in the United States of America (USA) on Tuesday. Her husband is currently under police custody. The nurse, identified as 26-year-old Merin Joy, hailed from Monipally in Kerala’s Kottayam district and worked at Broward Health hospital in Coral Springs.
According to media reports, her husband, Philip Mathew alias Nevin (34), stabbed her in the parking lot and also ran his car over her. Nevin is reportedly from Veliyanad of Kottayam district. Police took Nevin into their custody from a hotel room, where they found him with injuries that are presumed to be self-inflicted. He is currently under treatment.
As per reports, the couple had been separated for a while and had a child, who is staying with Merin's parents.
"Merin Joy, aged 26, was in the west parking lot with multiple stab wounds. Rescue arrived on the scene and transported the victim to Broward Health North for treatment where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital," Coral Springs police said in a statement.
"The incident is believed to be part of a domestic dispute that was ongoing between the suspect and the victim. Mathew was located in Coral Springs at an area hotel where he sustained a self-inflicted knife wound and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. He was taken into custody within a few hours of the initial ‘911’ call and is being charged with First Degree Murder," the statement adds.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Merin. She was part of our family and there are no words to describe our emotions. We offer our most sincere condolences to her family," said Jared Smith, the CEO of Broward Health Coral Springs. Jennifer Smith, a spokesperson for the hospital, said that Joy had worked there for about two years.
Joy's friends said that Monday's overnight shift was supposed to be her last day at the Coral Springs hospital because she had given a notice to her employers and was relocating out of town to start "a new life elsewhere."
A hospital friend, who declined to be identified, said Joy was moving to Tampa to escape her relationship. The friend said that they watched the black car drive over her body on the ground "like she was a speed bump" in horror.
With PTI inputs