Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Fort Payne, AL: Man held in girlfriend's slaying


Wednesday, August 12, 2009
By David Brewer
Times Staff Writer david.brewer@htimes.com

Woman cut 50 times; meth abuse cited in DeKalb case

FORT PAYNE - The Monday night stabbing death of a 24-year-old Marshall County woman "was the tragic end of a long line of meth and domestic violence," DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris said Tuesday.

Harris said John Mark Collum Jr., 27, of Albertville is being held in the county jail here without bond in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Kristi Renee Wolf of Douglas, who was stabbed or cut about 50 times "all over her body." He said during a noon news conference Tuesday that his investigators are waiting to hear from District Attorney Mike O'Dell before formally charging Collum in the killing.

Harris said Collum "went into a rage" after accusing his girlfriend of being unfaithful to him. He said Collum told investigators that both he and his girlfriend were methamphetamine addicts.

According to Harris, Collum and his girlfriend were traveling Monday from Snead to Douglas when he stopped and struck her in the head with a metal object and placed her in the trunk of his vehicle. About 11 p.m., after arriving at his mother's home on DeKalb County Road 964 in the Kilpatrick community, Collum grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen and stabbed and cut his girlfriend after she told his mother what her son had done to her.

Collum's mother and a niece ran from the home during the stabbing and called 911. An investigator told reporters at Tuesday's news conference that his mother witnessed the stabbing.

Harris said deputy Cody Oliver, who had just graduated from police academy last week, apprehended Collum after he saw him running from the home. He said Collum told Oliver that he believed he had killed his girlfriend.

She was found dead in the home.

Harris said there is a history of domestic violence between Collum and Wolf in the two years they had been dating, including an incident when Wolf had broken her boyfriend's leg while in a rage.


©2009 Huntsville

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