A 38-year-old man on a Friday night in late February used a knife to nearly slice off his wife’s head in their far south Fort Worth kitchen and reported to police that the woman had inflicted the wound herself, authorities allege.
Homicide detectives on Tuesday arrested Nathaniel Rowland on suspicion of murder after a forensic pathologist concluded the death was a homicide and his wife was found to have a defensive hand wound.
Elizabeth Rowland was lying face up on the kitchen floor when police arrived at the couple’s house.
She had a large gaping wound to her throat, according to a Fort Worth Police Department homicide detective’s account that is described in an arrest warrant affidavit supporting her husband’s arrest.
“It appeared that Elizabeth’s head was only attached to her body by the spinal cord. It appeared as though all of the structures of her throat had been completely severed,” Detective Kyle Sullivan wrote in the affidavit. “There was a large amount of blood on the floor surrounding Elizabeth.”
A knife stained by blood was on a counter above Elizabeth, who was 38. The knife appeared to have been removed from a knife block on the same counter.
“It seemed unlikely that Elizabeth would have been able to place the knife on the counter top after inflicting such a severe injury to herself,” Sullivan wrote.
Nathaniel Rowland had a significant amount of blood on his shorts and t-shirt, hands, face and hair when Detective Sullivan first encountered him. Police collected the clothing and allowed him to clean up.
He had called 911 and said that his wife had stabbed herself in the throat at their house in the 1200 block of Camden Yard Drive.
In an interview with Sullivan and Detective Matt Anderson, Nathaniel Rowland described watching his wife cut her neck.
The couple was married in September but have known each other for over 10 years.
Elizabeth was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder and took medication for her condition, Nathaniel told the detectives, according to the affidavit.
Nathaniel said that in July 2022 Elizabeth reportedly was suicidal when she was with her former husband.
In the hours before she died, Nathaniel said, they went to dinner and returned to the house about 7:45 p.m.
Nathaniel said he was sitting at his computer chair in the garage when Elizabeth sat next to him.
Nathaniel said he placed his feet on Elizabeth’s lap and tried to talk to her, eventually removed his feet and that she stood up and ran to the kitchen.
He said he followed her into the kitchen and was about five seconds behind her when he turned a corner and heard the sound of metal.
Nathaniel said he saw Elizabeth using her left hand to saw a portion of her neck while she was standing.
Nathaniel said he called 911 and told his visiting 15-year-old stepdaughter to do the same.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
