Cordova, TN – A 56-year-old Memphis woman is facing second-degree murder charges after allegedly stabbing her husband multiple times during an argument and attempting to disguise the crime as injuries from a single-vehicle accident.
Shelby County sheriff’s deputies responded to a wrecked Chevrolet Colorado in a ditch at the intersection of Macon Road and Houston Levee Road around 9:53 p.m. on Saturday. The driver and sole occupant, Derrick Curtis, was found bleeding profusely from three deep stab wounds to his left leg. Despite the truck showing only minor crash damage, a large pool of blood covered the driver-side floorboard.
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Paramedics treating Derrick Curtis at the scene reported that he told them, “My wife stabbed me.” He was transported to Regional One Hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 10:49 p.m.
Inside the vehicle, investigators located several items belonging to the suspect, Sheila Curtis: her purse, work ID, luggage, and cell phone, indicating she had recently been in the truck.
Detectives located Sheila Curtis the following day and brought her in for questioning. According to the arrest affidavit, she admitted the couple had argued in the vehicle while driving home from a funeral in Bolivar but claimed Derrick dropped her off before crashing. She refused to provide details about what sparked the fight.
A family member who picked up Sheila Curtis and her mother roughly two miles from the crash site shortly after the wreck told investigators that Sheila’s mother said the couple had “gotten into it,” prompting the need for a ride.
Court records and police reports reveal the Curtises had a documented history of domestic violence.
Sheila Curtis was booked into Shelby County Jail on Sunday on a second-degree murder charge and is being held on $500,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court later this week.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact local authorities.