ELLICOTT CITY, MD – A 53-year-old man wanted in the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife Friday morning has surrendered to police and now faces first-degree murder and protective order violation charges, according to Howard County authorities.
Police said officers were called to a home in the 3400 block of Huntsmans Run around 8:13 a.m. on February 8 for a report that Alexander Stephenson had attacked his wife, 47-year-old Amethyst Stephenson. Responding officers found the victim dead at the scene from apparent stab wounds.
Investigators said Alexander Stephenson fled the residence after the assault but later turned himself in at the Howard County Police Department’s northern district station in Ellicott City. He was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment of non-life-threatening, self-inflicted wounds.
Police confirmed that the couple were estranged and that Stephenson did not live at the residence where the killing occurred. Detectives have not released information regarding what led to the attack but confirmed that a protective order had previously been issued against him.
Key details from the investigation:
- Alexander Stephenson, 53, charged with first-degree murder and violating a protective order.
- Victim identified as Amethyst Stephenson, 47, found deceased at her Huntsmans Run home.
- Suspect turned himself in and is hospitalized with self-inflicted injuries.
Upon release from the hospital, Stephenson will be booked into the Howard County Detention Center. Police continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the stabbing and have not yet disclosed whether prior domestic incidents were reported.