BRICKEYS, ARK- A Fayetteville man convicted of murdering his wife in 2023 has died while serving a life sentence, according to prison officials.
Marcus Joiner was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to the fatal stabbing of Dr. Amy Phelps outside their Fayetteville home. The attack happened on April 16, 2023, after Phelps called 911, reporting that her husband was intoxicated and aggressive. Initially calm, she suddenly began screaming for help before the line went silent.
When officers arrived, they found Phelps lying in the road with a knife in her neck. She was unresponsive and beyond life-saving measures. Joiner, shirtless, was seen walking away from the scene toward the couple’s home. Police surrounded the house before he eventually emerged with a stab wound to his chest. He was taken to a hospital for treatment before being arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail.
Joiner initially pleaded not guilty in May 2023, but his trial was delayed multiple times due to what officials described as a large volume of evidence. On February 6, 2024, he changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prison officials have not yet released details regarding the circumstances of his death.
