Racine, WI woman sentenced to 3 years in prison for stabbing husband with knife

Wife sentenced to 3 years in prison for stabbing husband. In her sentencing, Judge Emily Mueller said drinking and substance abuse were not excuses for her actions.

Michelle Ferrell, 52, was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 4 years of extended supervision for stabbing her husband with a knife on St. Patrick's Day. The formal charge was first degree reckless injury while armed. Issac Ferrell, 67, apologized for the incident, stating that if he hadn't gave his wife alcohol and crack cocaine, she would not have stabbed him.

"This never would have happened if I hadn’t put the stuff in her hands. We’ve had problems before, but not like this.”

According to the criminal complaint, Racine police were called March 17 to the couple’s apartment for a report of a sexual assault of a child. But when police arrived there were no children in the apartment.Police said Michelle Ferrell told officers she had stabbed her husband and told them to take her to jail. Isaac Ferrell told officers Michelle Ferrell said she was going to kill him and then stabbed him.Police said Isaac Ferrell left the apartment, then went back and his wife hit him in the head with a flower pot. He left to call police.

Michelle Ferrell also called authorities and allegedly told the dispatcher that her husband had sexually assaulted their grandchild. However, on the scene, officers spoke with the couple’s daughter, who said it was not true. The daughter told police her mother only made the accusation because she had been drinking.

According to Assistant District Attorney Robert Repischak, Michelle had been arrested for domestic violence before, but her husband had always dropped the charges. This time, due to the stabbing, charges weren't allowed to be dropped. Repischak said that Michelle's injuries to her her husband were"incredibly violent" and that "she did quite a number on him."

Family members pleaded for leniency, stating that she needed to kick drug and alcohol addiction, which the sentencing judge required as part of her sentence. Judge Emily Mueller stated “I frankly don’t know what the real story is,” Mueller said. “But regardless of what you heard, you stabbed your husband.”