CASPER, WY — A 37-year-old Wyoming woman allegedly stabbed her estranged husband in the neck while he was feeding their infant son, then injured herself with a sledgehammer to support a self-defense claim, authorities said.
Tabatha Richardson was arrested earlier this month and charged with aggravated assault and battery in the December 2025 domestic violence incident at their Casper home. The attack occurred just over a month after the couple filed for divorce, with a custody battle looming over their children. Deputies with the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office responded after both Richardson and her husband called 911 with conflicting versions of what happened, according to court documents.
The husband told dispatchers he had been sitting on the couch feeding their infant when Richardson said something to him before he “felt something happen to the right side of his neck,” according to an affidavit. After noticing blood on his hand, he fled the home and called for help, telling investigators the attack was unprovoked and that he feared for his children’s safety. A child in the home reportedly did not witness the incident but heard the man scream, “What are you doing?” followed by Richardson responding, “What? What am I doing? You’re hurting me!”
Richardson claimed she acted in self-defense, telling a dispatcher that her husband “was on the couch and I just walked by him and he started attacking me.” She alleged he punched her in the ribs while she was holding the baby, prompting her to pull a folding knife from her bra and stab him “to get [him] off her.” However, investigators said physical evidence did not support Richardson’s account. A search of the home revealed blood but no signs of a struggle, and detectives noted the knife did not have a spring-assisted mechanism and likely could not be opened with one hand, contradicting her version of events.
Authorities said key evidence came from home surveillance footage that allegedly showed Richardson striking herself multiple times with a small sledgehammer roughly two to three hours before the stabbing. According to the affidavit, “It appeared on the video that the sledgehammer was swung with just enough force that it would leave a mark on a person.” Investigators later observed bruising on Richardson that was “round and consistent with the shape of the sledgehammer.” A search of Richardson’s phone also revealed she had sent herself messages about domestic abuse and materials related to testifying about abuse, court documents show.
During follow-up interviews, Richardson initially claimed she used the sledgehammer as treatment for a chronic condition, according to investigators. However, she later admitted to striking herself to protect herself and her children and also confessed to scratching herself with a chisel, authorities said. When Richardson attempted to demonstrate how she opened the knife with one hand, “Richardson repeated to investigators that she opened it with one hand by pushing the button but demonstrated how to open the knife with two hands,” the affidavit states. Medical records reviewed by investigators reportedly showed no documented history of abuse by her husband, though Richardson had expressed concerns about divorce and losing custody of their children.
A review of the husband’s phone found no evidence suggesting he had been abusive, authorities said. The December incident occurred as the couple was navigating their divorce proceedings, which had been filed in November 2025. Richardson posted 10% of her $30,000 bond and was released from custody. Court records did not immediately indicate when she was scheduled to appear for her arraignment on the aggravated assault and battery charge.
That’s why men don’t want liberal women.
addition, most of them are ugly lol