Police said Christina Copley gave conflicting accounts after her 82-year-old husband was found dead inside their home.
MESA, Ariz. — An Arizona woman charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her 82-year-old husband told investigators that she acted in self-defense after he allegedly attacked and abused her, according to police and court records.
Christina Copley, 41, is accused of killing Ed Copley at their Mesa home on July 18. A judge set her bond at $500,000, cash only. The charge is an allegation, and the available records do not indicate that she has entered a plea.
Police said Christina Copley went to a neighbor’s home shortly before 10:30 p.m. carrying a blood-covered kitchen knife. Witnesses told investigators she said she had stabbed and killed her husband, according to the court paperwork.
Officers then entered the couple’s home and found Ed Copley dead on the floor near his bed. Authorities said he had been stabbed multiple times. Police have not publicly released additional details about the medical examination or an official determination beyond the homicide investigation.
During an interview, Christina Copley initially denied killing her husband before saying he had approached her with a knife, court records said. She told investigators that injuries to her hand occurred as she tried to take the knife from him.
Copley also alleged that her husband had kicked her and directed racist language at her earlier that day. She said she had endured abuse during the marriage, according to investigators. Those allegations have not been independently established in court.
Investigators questioned parts of her account. Police said an injury on her chest appeared consistent with a fingernail scratch rather than a knife wound. Court records also said she acknowledged going “ballistic” and swinging the knife during the confrontation.
Neighbors told police that Copley had described her husband as abusive during the months before his death. Investigators said some of her accounts to neighbors were inconsistent. Court paperwork also included allegations involving a family member, but authorities did not report independent findings supporting those claims.
The records said Christina Copley had previous convictions for assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage. She also had recently been arrested in a separate domestic violence case involving her husband, police said. The available material does not provide the outcome of that arrest.
Copley told police she had bipolar disorder and previously had been prescribed lithium, according to the records. Authorities have not said whether her mental health history will become part of her defense, and a diagnosis alone does not determine criminal responsibility.
The case now centers on whether prosecutors can prove the murder charge and whether evidence supports Copley’s self-defense account. Police have not announced additional arrests or released further information about future court dates.
Author note: Last updated July 22, 2026.