14 DAY TRIAL // A resident of Goodyear, Arizona has been arrested for fatally stabbing his wife and son over his fear of letting them fight illness.
64-year-old Eugene Maraventano stabbed his wife on Thursday, Janet following a period in which she was feeling sick. Phoenix New Times wrote that he felt afraid he had infected her with HIV.
Maraventano did not know if he was positive, but drew the conclusion that he was carrying the virus upon noticing that Janet was not in good health.
He believed that she either suffered from cancer or HIV, ruling out any other possible option. 63-year-old Janet underwent a series of testings to determine whether or not there were cancerous cells in her body, but consulting an oncologist revealed that she didn't have cancer.
Thinking that he had infected her with something, Maraventano decided to end her ordeal in hopes to overcome his feeling of guilt.
The guilt stemmed from him paying to see call girls during his time living in New York City a while back, which is why he was convinced that he was infected.
According to the Mirror, he stabbed her twice using a kitchen knife while she was still asleep. Authorities say that he has planned the attack for two weeks before going through with it, at first choosing to use a gun, then changing his mind and opting for a knife.
After taking Janet's life, he entered his 27-year-old son Bryan's room and also stabbed him twice. Bryan was killed because Maraventano believed that he displayed signs of a mental disease.
He explained that he thought his son was underdeveloped because he wasn't employed or involved in a romantic relationship and would spend all his day at home, playing video games.
The suspect tried to commit suicide before calling 911, but couldn't go through with it. He is now facing two counts of murder in the first degree and has already confessed to the crimes.
"I killed my wife and I killed my son; I can't kill myself," a court document reads.