YORK, Pa. — The trial for a man accused of staging his wife’s death to look like an accident began in York. Around noon Tuesday Joe Fitzpatrick broke down and started crying. He’s being charged with homicide. During the opening statements the prosecutor kept saying “it almost worked” and that “he almost committed the perfect murder.” It all stems from an incident back in June 2012 when he and his wife Annemarie went four-wheeling on an ATV to celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary.
Fitzpatrick said his wife fell off the ATV. He said they both were flung into a nearby pond on their York County property and that she drowned as a result. However prosecutors said he held her down in the water and drowned her. They also said he was involved in an affair and that he stood to gain more than a million dollars from his wife’s death.
Fitzpatrick’s attorney, Chris Ferro, said the only thing he’s guilty of is having a non-sexual affair with another woman, not murder. “Annemarie Fitzpatrick died and that’s a tragedy. But convicting an innocent man, that’s a tragedy that can be avoided. I’m hopeful that the jury will listen to the evidence. I’m sure they will, it seems like a really good group and I’m comfortable and confident that once they hear the whole story they’ll see the truth and the truth is that Joe’s an innocent man,” said Ferro.
The prosecutor in the case declined to be interviewed. In addition to opening statements, witnesses were also called including Annemarie’s colleagues. One of them testified that he found a note in her handwriting saying “if something happens to me… Joe.” Another colleague said she was visibly sad and crying in the days leading up to her death.