Wife detained after stabbing at Mesa home left her 82-year-old husband dead

A woman was arrested and accused of stabbing her husband to death at their Mesa home Saturday night, authorities said.

Christina Copley, 41, told a neighbor she stabbed her husband at their home near Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway and McDowell Road, according to the Mesa Police Department. She was holding a 13-inch kitchen knife covered in blood, according to arrest documents.

Officers who responded to the scene at 10:20 p.m. detained her and found her husband, Ed Copley, 82, with multiple stab wounds.

Court records described him lying on the floor next to his bed with multiple injuries to his face and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to arrest documents, Copley had made inconsistent accusations against her husband over the past four months leading up to the incident. She also had mental health issues for which she was prescribed lithium, according to the documents.

She allegedly told police the stabbing was in self-defense.

She is facing one count of second-degree murder. Her bond was set at $500,000.

Police had previously responded to domestic violence calls involving the couple, which led to her being arrested.

This is an updated version of a story originally published on July 19, 2026.

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