By JOSEPH P. SMITH
Staff Writer
BRIDGETON -- Vineland resident William D. Carter was arraigned Friday afternoon on charges in the stabbing death of his wife June 18.
Cumberland County Superior Court Judge David Krell maintained bail at $750,000 full cash for the defendant after reading off his charges.
Relatives of the victim, 56-year-old Sharon Carter, were in court.
William Carter was jailed hours after the killing on charges of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Krell said the homicide charge accuses Carter of "striking and cutting the victim several times" with a knife.
Typically, a defendant is arraigned within days of being charged.
The county Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the reason for the seven-month time lapse.
But the state Promise Gavel system, a computer database on criminal defendants, shows Carter most recently was being held at the Ann Klein Forensic Center in West Trenton. The center is a state psychiatric hospital for defendants "suffering from mental illness," according to its charter.
Court records show Carter also had a bail hearing in July, when a public defender was assigned to his case. He was scheduled for arraignment in November, but that was canceled due to an unexplained scheduling problem.
The slaying occurred in the couple's home on the 1700 block of West Chestnut Avenue. Police said the couple, married for 10 years, had a documented history of domestic problems.
The victim's son and her father found her body after breaking through a barricaded door. She had called her son earlier that evening to say there was an emergency. The men were unable to contact her by telephone, so they went to the house.
Deputy Public Defender Caroline Turner, who is representing Carter, declined to comment on the case. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Michael Ostrowski and Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Johns are representing the state.
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