PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) — A Pekin man “couldn’t take it anymore” and allegedly cut his wife’s throat after the two had a fight.

James Pate, 93, was charged with murder by the Tazewell County State’s Attorney Office in connection with the stabbing death of 80-year-old Cheryl Pate, according to court documents.

Pate is in the Tazewell County Jail and could appear in court on Thursday for a hearing to determine probable cause and to see if he should be held pending trial. 

The documents allege that on Sept. 2, officers with the Pekin Police Department were called to the 1800 block of South 14th Street.

When they arrived, they found a car parked in the driveway and a female, Cheryl Pate, lying on the pavement next to the passenger side of the car, the documents said.

The affidavit claims she was found covered in blood and had a “laceration on the front of her neck.”

Officers then talked to James Pate, who allegedly had a significant amount of blood on him. He then allegedly admitted to cutting the throat of his wife, the document says.

He allegedly told officers he threw the knife in the woods next to the driveway, where officers later found it, documents said.

During an interview, James allegedly said that he and Cheryl were planning to file for divorce and that he had a lot of pent-up anger and “couldn’t take it anymore,” according to a probable cause statement.

He also said that he and Cheryl were in the car when they got into an argument so he parked the car. He said that Cheryl then allegedly lunged at him “as if to scratch his face” and that he pushed her away and struck her, according to the probable cause statement.

He allegedly told investigators he then grabbed a knife from the car’s center console and cut her throat.

He could face up to 60 years in prison if found guilty.