Husband feeding infant on couch suddenly feels estranged wife stab him in the neck with custody battle looming: Cops

A 37-year-old Wyoming pistillate is accused of attempting to termination her soon-to-be ex-husband by stabbing him successful the cervix portion helium was feeding their babe lad earlier intentionally injuring herself to bolster a self-defense claim.

Authorities arrested Tabatha Richardson earlier this period and charged her with 1 number of aggravated battle and artillery implicit the home unit incident.

The December 2025 onslaught allegedly occurred wrong the couple's Casper location conscionable implicit a period aft the mates had filed for divorce, Oil City News reported.

Deputies with the Natrona County Sheriff's Office responded aft some Richardson and her hubby called 911 — offering conflicting versions of what happened, according to a report from Cowboy State Daily.

The hubby reportedly told dispatchers helium had been sitting connected the sofa feeding their babe when, "out of nowhere," Richardson said thing to him earlier helium "felt thing hap to the close broadside of his neck." After noticing humor connected his hand, helium fled the location and called for help, reportedly telling investigators the onslaught was unprovoked and that helium feared for his children's safety.

Richardson, however, claimed she acted successful self-defense, telling a dispatcher that her hubby "was connected the sofa and I conscionable walked by him and helium started attacking me." She aboriginal alleged helium punched her successful the ribs portion she was holding the baby, prompting her to propulsion a folding weapon from her bra and stab him "to get [him] disconnected her."

A kid successful the location reportedly did not witnesser the incidental but heard the antheral scream, "What are you doing?" followed by Richardson responding, "What? What americium I doing? You're hurting me!"

Investigators said carnal grounds did not enactment Richardson's account. A hunt of the location revealed humor but nary signs of a struggle, and detectives noted the weapon did not person a spring-assisted mechanics and apt could not beryllium opened with 1 hand, reportedly contradicting her mentation of events.

Authorities said cardinal grounds came from location surveillance footage.

Video from a chamber camera allegedly showed that astir 2 to 3 hours earlier the stabbing, Richardson struck herself aggregate times with a tiny sledgehammer. According to the affidavit, "It appeared connected the video that the sledgehammer was swung with conscionable capable unit that it would permission a people connected a person."

Investigators aboriginal observed bruising connected Richardson that was "round and accordant with the signifier of the sledgehammer."

A hunt of Richardson's telephone besides revealed she had sent herself messages astir home maltreatment and materials related to testifying astir abuse.

During follow-up interviews, Richardson initially claimed she utilized the sledgehammer arsenic attraction for a chronic condition. However, she aboriginal admitted to investigators that she struck herself to support herself and her children and besides confessed to scratching herself with a chisel, authorities said.

Investigators besides said Richardson attempted to show however she opened the weapon with 1 hand, but "Richardson repeated to investigators that she opened it with 1 manus by pushing the fastener but demonstrated however to unfastened the weapon with 2 hands," according to the affidavit.

Medical records reviewed by investigators reportedly showed nary documented past of maltreatment by her husband, though Richardson had expressed concerns astir divorcement and losing custody of her children. Authorities besides said a reappraisal of the husband's telephone recovered nary grounds suggesting helium had been abusive.

Richardson posted 10% of her $30,000 enslaved and was released. It was not instantly wide erstwhile she was scheduled to look successful tribunal for her arraignment.