An Arizona man is accused of stabbing his wife 16 times in the back, telling police he acted because he wanted her to stop talking, according to an affidavit. Nathaniel Gotham, 32, called authorities to the couple's Mesa apartment on Saturday after the assault, where officers found him covered in blood and his wife bleeding on the floor.
Gotham reportedly told investigators he "snapped" and grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen after telling his wife she had "wasted the best years of my life" and that he had "ended up with the wrong woman." When asked why he stabbed her, he stated he wanted to hurt her and make her stop talking. The victim reportedly pleaded with him to stop during the attack.
In addition to the stab wounds to her back, Gotham's wife sustained lacerations to her head, neck, and face, as well as defensive wounds on her hands. She was transported to a local hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
Gotham also admitted to choking his wife years prior, describing their decade-long relationship as "not good" and a "loveless marriage." He told detectives he had reached a breaking point where "the monster came out," though he later called this explanation a "cop-out."
Following the incident, Gotham called his mother-in-law to apologize and then called his own mother, stating she likely would not see him again. He appeared in court on Sunday on charges of attempted murder and is being held on a $500,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Friday.
