Thursday, October 28, 2021 3:57 pm
Husband convicted in wife's slaying
Jury rejects David Carwile's claim of self defense
JAMIE DUFFY | The Journal Gazette
An Allen County jury took less than three hours to find a man guilty of killing his wife, even though he had claimed she lunged at him and hurled a knife at him.
David Carwile, 56, is facing up to 65 years in the March shooting death, with the possibility of another 20 years for using a gun to commit the crime. Sentencing is set for Dec. 17.
Carwile took the stand Thursday in his defense.
When Deputy Prosecutor James Posey asked Carwile why he told police he hoped his wife was dead and called her names, Carwile didn't deny his statements made just after the shooting.
"I was upset," he told the jurors.
In another explanation, he said, "I don't know why I said that."
Posey said the most galling words came during a police interview.
"The one thing I regret is I didn't even get my first cup of coffee," Carwile told police.
Carwile, an antiques dealer who dealt in knives, among other things, killed his wife, Joyce Carwile, 59, about 9 a.m. March 19. He testified he was sitting on the couch in his living room next to his gun he kept in a remote control bag on the arm of the sofa.
Without any testimony on his wife's possible motive, Carwile said his wife hurled a knife at him, which somersaulted through the air and landed blade-up in the middle of the couch.
Fort Wayne police crime scene technician Al Garriott said he'd never seen this feat in his career covering more than 500 homicide scenes. No fingerprints were found on the knife or gun, Garriott testified.
Carwile, claiming self defense, said he drew his gun with a shaking hand because of his multiple sclerosis and shot her in the chest.
jduffy@jg.net