Police said Mathew blocked his wife’s car in with his, slashed her repeatedly, and then drove over her body on the ground before driving off.
In a Florida courtroom, an Indian man named Philip Mathew has received a life sentence for the horrific murder of his wife, Merin Joy, in 2020. Merin, a nurse planning to escape from an abusive relationship, was brutally attacked in the parking lot of the hospital where she worked. Philip Mathew entered a no-contest plea for first-degree murder, effectively avoiding the possibility of a death sentence, as reported by The Sun Sentinel newspaper.
The tragic incident in 2020 saw 26-year-old Joy, employed at Broward Health Coral Springs, being brutally stabbed 17 times. Mathew not only blocked her car with his own but also subjected her to multiple slashing wounds before driving over her body and fleeing the scene.
One of Merin Joy’s co-workers later described the horrific incident, noting that Philip Mathew drove over her “as if she were a speed bump.” As her colleagues rushed to her aid, Merin could only cry out repeatedly, “I have a baby.” Prior to her tragic passing, she managed to reveal the identity of her attacker to the police.
During the court hearing on Friday, Philip Mathew also entered a no-contest plea to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was promptly sentenced to life in state prison with no chance of parole, in addition to a maximum of five years for the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The decision to forgo the death penalty was based on the certainty of a life sentence and the fact that the defendant was waiving his right to appeal, as explained by Paula McMahon, spokesperson for the State Attorney’s Office.
Merin Joy’s family continues to grapple with the profound loss they have endured. Joy’s cousin, Joby Philip, attended the hearing via Zoom from his residence in Tampa and conveyed the outcome to her family.
Merin’s mother expressed relief that her daughter’s killer would spend the rest of his life in prison, and she was comforted by the knowledge that the legal process had come to an end.