In a statement, her attorney said she had been sentenced to five years probation for the murder on May 20, 2011. Her attorney went on to say that the combination of drugs that she was prescribed put her into a "catatonic drug-induced state," which caused Mary to kill her husband by stabbing him several hundred times in the throat in October 2009. After stabbing Charles, Mary also stabbed herself and tried to overdoses on Paxil and the sleeping pills she was prescribed. According to Mary, she does not remember her actions that resulted in her husband's death because of the medication she was taking. Since there was no blood splatter on the walls, Mary's attorney believes "the stabbing was not in a violent frenzy because the blood would have flown off the blade and into the wall."

During Mary's sentencing, her adult children came to her defense. Eliott Sattler, Deputy District Attorney, opposed the probation order because he believed it sent the wrong message to the public. Sattler asked the judge, "What does it say to the next person in a difficult situation with a loved one? We are living in an aging society. What does that say to them? To condone what she did?" The presiding Judge Perry did warn Mary that a violation to the terms of her probation would result in a very large sentence. As a part of her probation agreement, Mary must continue treatment for her mental problems and take her medication as prescribed. Judge Perry defended his position on the probation saying there was "no reasonable explanation" as to why Mary killed Charles "other than the medications involved." Judge Perry continued saying that Mary had suffered enough loss from the death of "her best friend of 43 years."

In product liability cases, experienced Missouri attorneys work tirelessly to make sure that their clients receive compensation for their injuries. Injuries from a prescription medication can be devastating to any family, which is why product liability victims should seek the guidance of an experienced Missouri product liability attorney. In cases such as this the side effects caused injury not only to the person taking the medication but also resulted in the death of a loved one. To speak to an attorney right away, call 888.956.2487 and let one of our experienced attorneys help fight for you.


Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.