Inset: Sheila A. Curtis (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in Tennessee where Curtis’ husband crashed and later died (Google Maps).
A tragic two-car accident in Tennessee last week resulted in the death of 56-year-old Derrick Curtis and led to his wife facing murder charges. Authorities have charged Sheila Ann Curtis, also 56, with second-degree murder, alleging she stabbed her husband before the accident occurred, as confirmed by law enforcement to Law&Crime.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded around 9:55 p.m. on November 29 to a serious multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Houston Levee Road and Macon Road in Cordova. Upon arrival, they discovered a Chevrolet Colorado involved in the crash had veered off the road into a ditch.
First responders from the Shelby County Fire Department were already at the scene, administering emergency medical care to Derrick Curtis. He was subsequently transported by ambulance to Regional One Health in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Preliminary investigations revealed Derrick Curtis had sustained life-threatening injuries prior to the crash. These injuries, identified as stab wounds, were determined to have significantly contributed to the incident, according to the sheriff’s office release.
Detectives from the SCSO Violent Crimes Unit promptly initiated an investigation into the events leading up to the crash. Their efforts soon led to the conclusion that Sheila Curtis was responsible for her husband’s injuries before the collision.
“Investigative work revealed that Mr. Curtis’s pre-crash injuries were deliberate,” stated the sheriff’s office. “Detectives identified his wife, Sheila Curtis, as the perpetrator responsible for the attack.”
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Memphis NBC affiliate WMC provided additional details about what led to the arrest of Sheila Curtis.
According to the report, first responders said that when they first reached Derrick Curtis, he was bleeding profusely from a wound that “did not seem to be consistent with the minor damage” suffered in the collision. Deputies also highlighted that there was a large pool of blood on the driver’s side floorboards.
Derrick Curtis was reportedly able to speak with the paramedics, telling them his wife had just stabbed him. Medical personnel said he had suffered three separate stab wounds to his left leg.
In an interview with detectives, Sheila Curtis denied being involved in the stabbing. She reportedly said she and her husband had attended a funeral together and got into an argument on the way home. However, she claimed that Derrick Curtis dropped her off at their residence before driving away and crashing.
Detectives said Sheila Curtis refused to discuss what she and her husband fought about, but the couple reportedly had a history of domestic violence.
A family member told deputies that shortly after Derrick Curtis crashed, the family member picked up Sheila Curtis and Sheila’s mother. They were about two miles south of the crash site. During the drive, Sheila’s mother reportedly told the family member they needed a ride because Sheila and Derrick Curtis had “gotten into it” on the way back from the funeral.
Sheila Curtis is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail on $500,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on Wednesday morning, according to court records.
