Husband charged with murder in what was supposed to be a murder-suicide, police say

DUCHESNE — A Duchesne man has been charged with murder following the stabbing death of his wife in what investigators believe was supposed to be a murder-suicide.

The first-degree felony charge against Charles Edward Dodd, 75, was filed Wednesday in 8th District Court.

Duchesne County sheriff's deputies were contacted Saturday by an acquaintance who said Dodd had left two envelopes at her office containing $7,000 in cash and two notes indicating that he intended to kill himself and his wife.

"This money was our stash for burial," one of the notes read, according to court records filed by Duchesne County Sheriff's Lt. Travis Tucker.

The other note states that Dodd feared someone would take his wife, Mary W. Ratliffe, away from him "because of what's happened to my head," court records state. The acquaintance who had contacted deputies said Dodd had been depressed lately and had stated "the end will come."

Deputies went to the trailer home Dodd and Ratliffe shared at 67 W. 300 South. They found Dodd unresponsive in a chair in the front room with blood coming from a puncture wound to the chest.

In a bedroom, they found Ratliffe, 82, stabbed to death in her bed. A black and silver hunting knife was found on a small table next to the bed, investigators said.

Dodd was interviewed at Intermountain Medical Center by sheriff's investigators. He told them his wife was "in constant pain, and they had talked about 'ending it' on numerous occasions," Tucker wrote.

"(Dodd) stated on that day that 'enough was enough,' and he decided to end it," the lieutenant wrote, adding that Dodd told him he'd waited until his wife was "semi-asleep" before stabbing her in the chest more than once.

Dodd then said he took a large amount of unknown pills, put a knife to his chest and leaned against the wall to push the knife into himself, court records state.

Dodd remains hospitalized but is expected to survive. It is unknown when he will be booked into the Duchesne County Jail or appear in court.

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