A South Carolina judge sentenced a man to life in prison for murdering his wife using a butcher knife.

Anthony Argoe, 60, was convicted of murder for the stabbing that happened more than three years ago – on June 14, 2019. Argoe killed his wife, Lynda Shuler, 55, in their home in Summerville.

According to the prosecution, on the night of the murder, police received a call from the victim’s daughter to do a wellness check on her mother. Police did a forced entry at the home and found Shuler’s body propped up against the couch, lifeless, with a 19-inch butcher knife still stuck in the right side of her neck. Autopsy reports show that she was also stabbed 14 times in her arms, chest, stomach and face before the killer plunged the knife in her neck.

During the trial, a witness said that Argoe, referring to his wife, told him, “She would never shut up and that he shut her up for good.” 

It took the jury only 40 minutes to come to a verdict.

Prior to the crime, witnesses say that Argoe quit his job and stopped paying his rent, which eventually led to the couple’s eviction.  He then went on an alcohol binge and purchased multiple lottery tickets. 

His wife got fed up and decided to leave him and stay with her daughter. A day before the murder, her bags were packed in her car and ready to go.

Before the victim’s body was found, Argoe was seen passed out on the street and was evaluated by Trident Hospital with an alcohol level of 156 mg/DL confirming that he was intoxicated during the murder. His wife’s blood was found on his clothing.

One of the couple’s neighbors said they heard loud arguments between the couple, and the victim’s daughter testified that her mother was a victim of domestic abuse for many years.

An emotionless Argoe was seen in the courtroom during witnesses’ tearful testimonies and was sentenced to life imprisonment.