Tazewell County prosecutors have filed first-degree murder charges against a 93-year-old Pekin man accused of killing his wife.
James Pate remains in custody in the Tazewell County Jail following his arrest Tuesday afternoon for allegedly causing the death of Cheryl Pate, 80.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood identified Cheryl Pate as the victim in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. Harwood said she suffered “multiple sharp force injuries that were incompatible with life” and died shortly after arriving at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
Court documents show the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed two Class M felony counts of first-degree murder against James Pate, along with a request for pretrial detention.
An affidavit of probable cause states Pekin police found Cheryl Pate lying on the pavement of a long private driveway in the 1800 block of South 14th Street. She had suffered a laceration on the front of her neck.
Officers found James Pate at the scene, and he admitted to cutting his wife’s throat, they said. Pate allegedly said the couple was planning on filing for divorce, that he had a lot of pent up anger and “couldn’t take it anymore.”
Pate told investigators he and his wife had gotten into an argument in the vehicle. After he parked, Pate told police Cheryl lunged at him to scratch his face, so he pushed her away and struck her. He then took a knife from the center console and cut his wife’s throat, according to the charges.
The Pates’ address is listed as 22 Cypress Point in Pekin, which is about five miles from the location of the crime. Tazewell County real estate records show they sold the property to Pekin Country Club Residential LLC for $355,000 on Aug. 22.
