FAYETTEVILLE -- A man accused of stabbing his wife to death last year pleaded guilty to capital murder in Washington County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Marcus McBurney Joiner, 41, of 1611 E. Thornhill Drive in Fayetteville, was charged with the April 16, 2023, stabbing death of his wife, Amy.
Amy Joiner was found dead, with a knife in her neck, lying in the street in front of her home, according to a report from the Fayetteville Police Department.
Amy Joiner called police at 9:28 p.m. April 16, 2023, and said her husband "was intoxicated on alcohol and was 'being aggressive,'" according to a preliminary police report. Joiner described her husband as shirtless and wearing jeans.
Amy Joiner was initially calm while speaking to the dispatcher, the report states, but suddenly began screaming for help before she stopped responding to the dispatcher. A male voice was heard on the call saying, "You wanted it like this," according to a recording of the call.
A witness later told police she heard a woman screaming and believed someone was being stabbed. The witness said they saw someone lying in the street with a man kneeling over them. The witness said the man appeared to be punching or stabbing the person on the street.
When officers arrived, they saw a man, later identified as Marcus Joiner, wearing only a pair of jeans and walking away from a body in the street. Joiner refused commands to stop and entered the house at 1611 E. Thornhill Drive.
The officers found Amy Joiner in the street. She wasn't breathing, according to the report. The first officer said he could still hear the 911 operator on Amy Joiner's phone, which was on the ground next to her.
Investigators found a large amount of blood surrounding her body, and several large footprints were found in the blood heading away from the body toward the house in the same direction officers had seen Marcus Joiner walking. The footprints were of bare feet, according to the report.
Police surrounded the house, and after a few minutes, Joiner came out of the home. Police said he had a single puncture wound in the left side of his chest.
Investigators said Marcus Joiner had cuts on both hands and his right hand was badly swollen. Officers also saw a lot of blood on his pants and the bottoms of his feet.
Amy Joiner was 39-years-old. She was a partner and doctor at Northwest Arkansas Pathology Associates, according to her obituary.
Washington County Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor accepted Joiner's plea via Zoom conference from the Washington County Detention Center and sentenced him immediately to the Arkansas Department of Correction.
Taylor told Joiner he killed a person he had promised to love, honor, cherish and protect.
"Mr. Joiner, you took another life and you did not have a right to do that," Taylor said.
Family members gave emotional victim impact statements. Joiner appeared to listen carefully but did not react.
Tyler Benson, an attorney who represents the family said they were pleased with the outcome of the case and want to grieve Amy Joiner and move on.
"They appreciate all the support that they have received from Northwest Arkansas from friends and co-workers. They also appreciate the hard work put in by the Fayetteville Police Department as well as the prosecutors, and they are happy to finally have this resolved," Benson said. "They think this is a better resolution than having to relive this nightmare through a trial."
Deputy prosecutor Mieka Hatcher said she felt the plea bargain provided a just outcome for the case.
"There are no good outcomes in a case like this," Hatcher said. "The family now has an opportunity to move forward. It will be a hard road."
Denis Dean, chief deputy prosecutor, said the case shines a light on the danger of domestic violence.
"This case highlights domestic violence in that it cuts across all socioeconomic levels and goes across all races and across all homes potentially in Washington and Madison counties. No one is immune," Dean said. "If you suspect domestic violence you've got to report it. Don't let it go."
Capital murder
Causing the death of another person with premeditated and deliberate purpose. In Arkansas, capital murder is a Class Y felony punishable by either death or life in prison without parole.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette