NORRISTOWN – A 70-year-old Pottstown man accused of killing his wife by strangling her with an electrical cord wants to prevent a jury from hearing allegations that he abused a former spouse, reportedly while experiencing “flashbacks” from his time serving in the Vietnam War.
Michael Darrell Hatfield, through his lawyer Carrie Lynn Allman, filed court papers, arguing allegations of abuse by a woman from whom he’s been divorced for 38 years are “extremely remote in time,” have no bearing on the current charges, are “overly prejudicial” and are not proper evidence for a jury.
“In the instant matter the evidence of a separate, very old act of violence is not proper (prior bad acts evidence) and would prejudice the fact-finder against Mr. Hatfield,” Allman wrote in court papers seeking to suppress such evidence from Hatfield’s upcoming trial in Montgomery County Court.
“There is no question of identity in this matter, and this prior, remote act does not show a common plan or scheme, motive, intent, nor malice. This is especially true where (Hatfield’s ex-wife) describes the prior act as essentially an involuntary reaction to war trauma,” Allman added.
Hatfield, of the 300 block of North Hanover Street, faces charges of first- and third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime in connection with the April 8, 2020, death of his wife, Mary, 71, inside the apartment they shared. Judge William R. Carpenter said Hatfield’s trial will begin on Oct. 18. The trial is slated to last about five days.
First-degree murder, an intentional killing, is punishable by life imprisonment. Third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice, is punishable by 20 to 40 years in prison.
Court papers indicate that in January, detectives interviewed Hatfield’s ex-wife, to whom Hatfield was married for 11 years before divorcing 38 years ago. In her statement, Hatfield’s ex-wife allegedly said that during the marriage Hatfield “would experience flashbacks from his time in Vietnam” and would chase her through the house “thinking I was Charlie, and you know from Vietnam,” according to court papers.
The woman allegedly told detectives that Hatfield, on one occasion, held a knife to her throat while she was asleep but added Hatfield never struck her and “never did anything with the knives and stuff,” according to court documents.
Allman, arguing the alleged incident should be excluded from Hatfield’s trial, claimed so-called “prior bad acts” evidence is admissible “only upon a showing that the probative value of the evidence outweighs its potential for prejudice.” Allman argued the alleged incident is too remote in time and that even if it was admissible evidence “the prejudicial impact far outweighs any probative value” of an alleged assault that occurred more than 38 years ago.
Allman, chief homicide lawyer for the county’s Office of Public Defender, added the incident described by Hatfield’s ex-wife “was never even reported to police.”
“The nature and method of the actions she describes are not similar to the acts committed on April 8, 2020,” Allman wrote in court documents.
A judge is expected to hold a pretrial hearing on the matter at a later date and at that time Assistant District Attorney Lauren Marvel will have the opportunity to address Allman’s request to exclude the evidence.
The current investigation began about 11:03 a.m. April 10, 2020, when Pottstown police responded to Hatfield’s apartment after Hatfield allegedly placed a 911 call and told a dispatcher that he “had an argument with his wife” and that he “hurt his wife,” according to a criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Detective Anthony N. Fischer and county Detective Todd Richard.
“When asked what type of injury his wife sustained, Hatfield replied, ‘strangulation,'” Fischer and Richard alleged in the arrest affidavit.
Hatfield allegedly told arriving officers, “I strangled her.” Officers found the victim lying face down on the living room floor with signs of decomposition, according to the criminal complaint.
A subsequent autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death was strangulation.
During an interview by detectives, Hatfield allegedly stated he had an argument with his wife on Wednesday evening, April 8.
At a preliminary hearing earlier this year, Richard testified that Hatfield claimed his wife called him a name and he became enraged. Hatfield is alleged to have stated that he and his wife argued over her health, the argument got heated and he strangled her, according to court documents.
“Hatfield said he then removed an ‘orange’ colored electrical extension cord from closet and walked behind Mary Hatfield as she sat in her recliner,” Fischer and Richard alleged in the arrest affidavit. “Hatfield told detectives he wrapped the cord around her neck, pulled it with both his hands until Mary Hatfield stopped moving.”
During a search of the residence, detectives recovered an orange extension cord, a bloody towel and bedsheet in a trash can in the apartment, according to the arrest affidavit. Detectives also observed “blood smears” on the right arm rest of a recliner inside the living room, court papers indicated.
The alleged killing occurred at the height of the coronavirus outbreak while stay-at-home orders, issued by state health officials, were in effect.
