Man sentenced to life for killing wife with butcher knife because he was sick of her 'nagging him'

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (TCD) -- A 60-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his wife with a butcher knife in 2019.

According to a news release from the First Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Lynda Argoe’s daughter called 911 on June 14, 2019, to request a welfare check on her mother who lived at Westbury Mews Apartment Complex on Trolley Road with her husband, Anthony Argoe. Summerville Police Department officers reportedly responded to the scene and could see the victim’s "motionless body propped against her couch" through the window.

The Solicitor’s Office said officers forced entry into the home and located Lynda Argoe with a 19-inch butcher knife sticking out from her neck.

An autopsy report reportedly revealed the victim suffered at least 14 stab wounds all over her body before the "final fatal blow."

The victim’s husband was allegedly seen by a witness unconscious in the apartment complex driveway, and he was transported to the hospital with a blood alcohol level of 156 mg/DL.

According to the Solicitor’s Office, during the trial, evidence was presented showing the victim’s DNA was on Anthony Argoe’s blood-splattered jean shorts and a pair of flip-flops he was wearing.

Also during the trial, a witness reportedly said Argoe "stopped going to work before eventually quitting," and he often spent his days drinking at home and buying lottery tickets.

Text message evidence was reportedly presented, revealing the victim was worried because her husband was wasting his money on alcohol, and he was not paying rent. The Solicitor’s Office said the victim and suspect were eventually evicted, and the victim was planning to move in with her daughter the day after the fatal stabbing.

According to the Solicitor’s Office, the victim’s car was filled with her belongings parked outside the apartment complex where she was fatally attacked.

A neighbor reportedly often heard the couple arguing, and the victim was allegedly a victim of domestic abuse for years.

The Solicitor’s Office said, "Years after his arrest, Argoe told a witness who testified at trial that he was sick of his wife nagging him and ‘she would never shut up, so he shut her up for good.’"

In a statement, Prosecutor David Osborne said, "This was an unbelievably brutal and  heinous crime. While the whole courtroom was teary-eyed watching Lynda’s daughter testify, Argoe showed zero remorse or sorrow."

On Thursday, Feb. 9, the Solicitor’s Office announced Argoe was sentenced to life by the Honorable Diane Goodstein after a jury found him guilty following a 40-minute deliberation.

MORE:

• Life Sentence for Man who Slaughtered Wife with 19 Inch Butcher Knife — First Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office