The relationship between James and Cheryl Pate had reached a point of no return: thirty years of marriage in which fights, reconciliations, and resentment were the most natural part of their life together.
The couple, who lived in Pekin, Illinois, were in the process of divorcing, and the accumulated anger was so great that they could no longer see each other without an argument breaking out. On September 2, 2025, that anger exploded in the worst possible way.
The couple argued inside a vehicle and, from one moment to the next, Cheryl lunged at James, trying to scratch his face. He struck her and pushed her so he could pull out a sharp object and, without another word, took his wife’s life.
The 93-year-old man who had calmly confessed to silencing his wife was taken to jail, but his health quickly deteriorated, so James Pate was never brought to trial.
Doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and other complications related to his age, and he was temporarily released to receive palliative care, and finally on September 30, 2025, less than a month after the crime, James lost his life.