An 83-year-old Tennessee husband was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder after attempting to smother his wife and then strangling her with a rope, prosecutors said.
Joseph Anthony Scrofne, 83, lived with his wife, Linda “Carole” Scrofne, 81, in Portland, Tennessee.
Jurors returned the guilty verdict following a three-day trial, according to the Sumner County District Attorney General’s Office.
Judge Jennifer S. Nichols immediately imposed the mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Deputies first responded to the Scrofnes’ home in January 2025 after Joseph reported finding his wife dead.
His initial explanation suggested nothing criminal had occurred. The husband claimed his wife had fallen sometime during the night, investigators said.
Deputies examining Linda’s body noticed injuries that did not appear consistent with that account. They observed bruising around her neck and blood on her face, deputies said.
The marks raised immediate questions about what had actually happened inside the home, police said.
The following day, deputies received information indicating that Scrofne might be suicidal.
Officers returned to the residence, where they detained him for his own safety, authorities said.
During a subsequent interview with Detective Phillip Douglas, the husband’s account changed dramatically.
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Scrofne admitted that he had hurt his wife and strangled her, according to prosecutors.
He explained that he had initially attempted to smother Linda with a pillow, prosecutors said.
His 81-year-old wife fought back. Scrofne then retrieved a rope and used it to strangle her, prosecutors said.
Statements to detectives revealed that the woman’s death was not the result of a spontaneous confrontation, according to prosecutors.
Scrofne described a plan to take his wife’s life and then take his own, prosecutors said.
The defendant also offered investigators an explanation for why he believed his actions were justified, according to court documents.
Scrofne reportedly claimed that Linda would eventually be placed in a nursing home where she would be given oatmeal until she died.
He told investigators that he thought he was doing his family a favor, prosecutors said.
Jurors heard both his admission and his explanation during the three-day trial.
The panel rejected any argument that would have spared him responsibility. Jurors found him guilty of premeditated first-degree murder.
The Sumner County District Attorney General’s Office credited the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, emergency medical personnel and Linda’s relatives for their assistance.
Judge Nichols sentenced Scrofne to serve a mandatory life term in prison for taking the life of his 81-year-old wife.
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