83-year-old Tennessee man kills his wife. He said he couldn’t bear the thought of her eating “oatmeal until she died”

Joseph Anthony Scrofne, 83, will spend the rest of his life behind bars following a conviction for the first-degree murder of his 81-year-old wife, Linda “Carole” Scrofne. The sentencing comes after a three-day trial where a jury found him guilty of the premeditated crime, which occurred at the couple’s home in Portland, Tennessee, in January 2025.

According to Law and Crime, Scrofne placed a 911 call claiming he had discovered his wife dead. The Sumner County District Attorney’s Office stated, “He initially claimed that she had fallen during the night.” The statement noted that, “Investigators, however, observed injuries that were inconsistent with his explanation and continued their investigation.” Deputies specifically noted suspicious bruising on the victim’s neck and blood on her face. 

The following day, law enforcement reportedly received reports that Scrofne was potentially suicidal. When officers intercepted him as he returned to his residence on Meadows Road, they questioned him about the death of his wife. It was during this follow-up interview with a Sumner County Sheriff’s Office detective that Scrofne admitted to the killing.

A quick trial with clear evidence

According to court documents, per WKRN, at the time of his arrest, Scrofne was direct about his actions when confronted by the detective. When asked if he had harmed his wife, he replied, “Yes.” When asked to clarify what he had done, he stated, “I strangled her.” The documents further detail that he claimed he used a rope to commit the act because he believed his wife was “crazy.” He also alleged that she had fallen multiple times during the night before he put her in bed.

The brutality of the act was outlined in a press release from the Sumner County District Attorney’s Office, according to WSMV. “He admitted that he first attempted to smother her with a pillow,” the release stated. “When she fought back, Scrofne retrieved a rope and strangled her.” 

At Scrofne’s arrest, WKRN reported that the defendant told investigators, “Once he got her in the bed, he thought ‘I might as well kill this b—, right now.'” He further expressed his intent to end his own life, telling the detective, “I was going to murder her and suicide on me.” In California, an elderly couple died after a phony Tom Selleck scammed them. Upon investigation, the police believe that it was a murder-suicide, and no one has been charged yet.

The motive provided by Scrofne remains one of the most unsettling aspects of the case. According to Law & Crime, he explained to investigators that he acted out of a belief that his wife would eventually be forced into a nursing home. 

He described this potential future to officials by stating that she would simply be “given oatmeal until she died.” According to Law & Crime, it appears he viewed the murder as a way to prevent this perceived decline, even suggesting he hoped he would not have to go to jail “for doing his family a favor.” It should be noted that he provided this reason for his motive much later.

WSMV reported that the legal proceedings concluded after a three-day trial. Following the jury’s verdict of guilty for premeditated first-degree murder, Sumner County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer S. Nichols handed down the mandatory sentence of life in prison. Recently, 88-year-old Harvey Marcelin was sentenced to life in prison. He had been offered parole after promising he wouldn’t reoffend, but then went on to kill and dismember his girlfriend, his third murder. 

The quick resolution of Scrofne’s trial reflects the weight of the evidence presented by prosecutors, including the defendant’s own admissions to law enforcement.