MEMPHIS — A New Albany man has been arrested for the brutal murder of his wife outside a home in Memphis early Tuesday morning.
Brenda Roche, 46, of New Albany, was beaten to death with a 25-pound rock after she tried to flee from her husband during a domestic dispute, according to police.
Joseph L. Roche, 44, of New Albany, is being held in the Michael L. Becher Adult Corrections Complex on preliminary charges of murder, class D felony domestic battery, misdemeanor invasion of privacy and three counts of class D felony battery.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Department responded at 12:20 a.m. to several 911 calls from the 800 block of Orchard Street in Memphis. Sheriff Danny Rodden said the initial calls indicated windows were being damaged, and then police received another call that a man was hitting a woman with a rock.
Responding officers found Joseph Roche without a shirt walking westbound on Orchard Street about a block from the scene of the homicide. He had blood on his head and arms and was at first unresponsive to officers’ commands.
Brenda Roche was found in a ditch. She appeared to be breathing but had severe injuries to her face, head and neck. She was transported to University Hospital in Louisville where she was pronounced dead.
Rodden said that the Roches had been living in different residences for the past several months but still seeing each other. They traveled together to the Memphis home of Brenda Roche’s daughter, Amber Scholl. The two became involved in a verbal argument at the residence.
Rodden said the Roches had both been drinking alcohol, and according to witnesses, Brenda Roche accused her husband of infidelity. Brenda Roche attempted to leave in her vehicle, but Joseph Roche allegedly reached into the vehicle and prevented her from driving.
Joseph Roche grabbed a box cutter that he knew was in the vehicle because she had reportedly used it against him in the past. He began cutting her, and then he grabbed rocks — estimated to be about 25 pounds — and started smashing her vehicle, Rodden said.
Brenda Roche exited the vehicle and tried to run away, but her husband caught up to her.
“He took one of the boulders and hit her in the head, knocked her to the ground,” Rodden said.
Joseph allegedly continued to hit his wife several times with the rock in the face.
“[Domestic violence] seems to escalate more and more all the time,” Rodden said. “It was a brutal, brutal murder.”
Several other people also suffered injuries trying to break up the fight. Scholl received a minor injury to her nose during the conflict inside the residence, and she received medical attention at the hospital.
Steven Duncan, of Memphis, and Ruby Geary, of Elizabeth, were also allegedly battered by Joseph Roche. Duncan received injuries to his jaw and head. Geary, a longtime friend of Brenda Roche, received injuries to the left side of her face.
Joseph Roche appeared in Clark County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning for an advisement of rights hearing. Clark County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Donnie Bowyer said at the hearing Joseph Roche confessed to killing his wife.
Judge Dan Moore determined there was sufficient cause to hold Joseph Roche without bond on the charge of murder. Clark County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said formal charges will be filed by Thursday when Joseph Roche is scheduled to appear in court again for an initial hearing.
Joseph Roche, who interrupted the judge several times, appeared disoriented during the court hearing. Moore read Joseph Roche his rights and asked if he understood them. Joseph Roche said he did not.
When asked what he did not understand, Joseph Roche said that what happened seemed “supernatural” and “doesn’t make any sense to me.” Bowyer said Joseph Roche did not appear confused when he was questioned by detectives, which Joseph Roche quickly claimed was untrue.
Joseph Roche has two prior battery convictions against his wife, and the New Albany Police Department had been called to their residence several times on domestic incidents. Joseph Roche had a protective order issued in Floyd County Superior Court No. 2 in January forbidding him from having contact with Brenda Roche.
Mull said in court that Joseph Roche also has been in prison in Kentucky previously for manslaughter and burglary.
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