Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps Had 123 Stab Wounds: Husband Pastor Matthew James Phelps Drank Coricidin Cough Syrup


The case of Pastor Matthew James Phelps, husband of Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps, gained plenty of attention when the 29-year-old Matthew told a 911 operator that he drank Coricidin Cough and Cold before his wife was found dead. The actual 911 call can be heard below, after Phelps told police that he awakened to find blood all over himself on September 1. As reported by Newser, an autopsy performed on Lauren has revealed that she sustained 123 stab wounds, including cuts, from the attack that happened in the Phelps home.

Matthew could be heard on the 911 call saying he took the cough syrup in order to sleep better at night and that he may have imbibed more than the recommended dosage of Coricidin because he knew cough syrup could make a person “feel good.” Phelps is now being held without bail and faces a first-degree murder charge in the wake of his wife’s death.

“There’s blood all over me, and there’s a bloody knife on the bed. I think I did it. I took Coricidin Cough and Cold because I know it can make you feel good and sometimes I can’t sleep at night.”

As seen in photos on the Instagram account of Lauren her and aspiring pastor husband, Lauren gushed about how lucky she was to have such a man on her arm in North Carolina. In the wake of the horrific death, investigators have called her murder a frenzied attack that took place at the couple’s Raleigh home last month. Comments are flowing into the social media account, with Instagram users making comments ranging from calling Matthew a murderer to those writing heinous things about Lauren. Others are offering their sympathies for her death.

On Instagram, Lauren dubbed herself “Newly Mrs. Phelps” and a “fur momma” in Raleigh who loved fashion, family, coffee, and good smells. According to state pathologists, Lauren’s multiple wounds came from a kitchen knife, with certain stab wounds as deep as four inches, as reported by the News and Observer. At least one of those stab wounds cut Lauren’s left jugular vein.

There were cuts on her neck, head, arms, and torso. According to WRAL, Matthew claimed he had a dream, and when he awakened, his wife was dead. The large number of stab wounds might help Phelps’ defense because it could indicate Matthew had a psychotic break, according to Karl Kundsen, an attorney — but the cough syrup defense might not be a valid defense.

[Featured Image by Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps/Instagram]

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