SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman has been found guilty of first-degree murder after she was accused of killing another woman whom she believed was having an affair with her estranged husband.
Multiple media sources report a Rowan County jury returned its verdict on Wednesday against 66-year-old Marlene Johnson in the 2013 stabbing death of 62-year-old Shirley Pierce. Prosecutors said Johnson stabbed Pierce in the neck during an attack in her home.
Johnson collapsed to the floor as the verdict was announced. Although deputies rushed to her side and attempted to remove her from the courtroom, the judge stopped them, telling the deputies to make her stand up and listen as each juror was polled.
Johnson was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Her attorneys said they will appeal the verdict.