Inset: Karen Dedert (Pinellas County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The entryway to the suburban community where Dedert and her family live in Seminole, Fla. (Google Maps).
In a shocking turn of events, a woman from Florida finds herself incarcerated after a series of unsuccessful early-morning attempts to take her husband’s life, following her expression of intent to harm their son, according to authorities in the Sunshine State.
Karen Ruth Dedert, aged 58, faces a charge of first-degree attempted murder with a domestic violence component, as reported by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident unfolded at the couple’s home located on Tara Cay Court in Seminole, a quaint town within the Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
At approximately 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, deputies responded to the suburban residence following a report of an ongoing assault. Upon arrival, they found the husband outside, clad in a white robe and nursing a cut on his left forearm, according to the authorities.
The terrifying episode, which escalated into violence, began hours earlier, according to the husband’s account to law enforcement, as detailed in an arrest affidavit accessed by local news outlet IONTB and local NBC affiliate WFLA.
The ordeal reportedly commenced around 5 a.m. when, according to the husband, his wife awakened him to inquire about their son’s whereabouts.
“Where is our son?” the defendant allegedly asked her husband.
The husband asked his wife why she needed to know, authorities say.
Then, Dedert allegedly said: “I need to sacrifice and kill you both.”
The victim said his wife then tried to stab him with a large knife but he was able to fend her off, relieve her of the blade, and shelter himself in a downstairs bedroom, according to the affidavit.
Hours passed and the man eventually ventured out to another room.
At around 7:45 a.m., the victim had a brief encounter with his wife that did not entail violence, according to law enforcement.
Then, he took a shower.
After the shower, however, the defendant struck again, the man told deputies. This time, Dedert ambushed him as he was leaving one room and heading toward the kitchen, according to the affidavit.
Striking from behind the refrigerator, the wife aimed another knife for her husband’s abdomen, authorities say. Again, the man defended himself from the intended attack – but sustained a cut to his defending arm.
“I’m going to kill you,” the defendant allegedly repeatedly yelled during the ensuing scuffle as the couple battled for control of the weapon.
Dedert was disarmed yet again as the victim finally escaped from the house and dialed 911, according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived, the defendant was still inside the house and detained without incident. After being Mirandized, Dedert allegedly clammed up and refused to speak with investigators. At least at first.
At some point, the man’s wife allegedly told the deputies on the scene: “These aren’t the clothes I was wearing when I stabbed him.”
Dedert was booked in the Pinellas County Jail – at first without bond.
On Wednesday, she was granted $100,000 bond, court records show. In the event she makes bond, she will be placed on GPS monitoring and must have no contact with her husband. Dedert will also be allowed one visit to her residence in order to collect some of her personal belongings.
