In a gruesome show of affection, an Arizona man fatally stabbed his wife and adult son due to fears he had given his wife HIV from prostitutes he had sexual relations with and concern for his son's future, the Associated Press reported.
Eugene Maraventano, 64, told investigators he thought his wife Janet Maraventano, 63, might test positive for cancer or HIV he might have given her. The 64-year-old man told police that his wife was sick and he was afraid she'd test positive for cancer so he decided to kill her instead, UPI reported.
According to the AP, Maraventano planned to kill himself after killed his wife, but worried about what would happen to his live-at-home son, Bryan Maraventano, 27. The man told investigators that his son stayed at home playing video games and did not have a girlfriend or job.
Maraventano called police on Saturday to confess to the killings, saying that he had killed them a few days prior and made several unsuccessful attempts to commit suicide. A police document quotes the 64-year-old telling dispatchers, "I killed my wife and I killed my son."
According to the police record, Maraventano told police he used a 14-inch knife from his kitchen when he stabbed his sleeping wife twice and later attacked his son. UPI reported that court documents reveal that Maraventano confessed to having considered buying a gun to murder his wife, but decided against it because "[he's] not a violent person."
UPI reported that the medical examiner reported that both Janet and Bryan had been dead for a few days before Maraventano called police. The AP reported that he was treated at a hospital for injuries he sustained during his suicide attempts and is in jail on a $2 million bond. He is now facing two counts of first-degree murder.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
