MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- It’s day three in the trail of a Murfreesboro man charged with murdering his wife on Valentines Day 2013.
Police found Carla Pearman dead in the bedroom of her Kanatak Lane home before sunrise the morning of February 12, 2013. Jacob Pearman was arrested by Manchester Police later that morning on I-24 driving east and returned to Murfreesboro for questioning.
The MPD says he confessed to his wife’s murder, but has pleaded not guilty to charges of First Degree Murder, aggravated assault and child abuse.
The Daily News Journal reports that in court yesterday, Christian Cooper, a close friend of Carla Pearman’s, testified that Pearman was planning to leave her husband. Cooper told the court that Jacob Pearman’s alleged abuse of Carla’s son prompted her decision to end the marriage.
Jacob Pearman was charged with abuse after his stepson told police that he’d been struck and kicked by Pearman on the morning of December 14. Police say the boy had injuries on his neck, head, and back that corroborated his story.