Inset: Karen Dedert (Pinellas County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The entryway to the suburban community where Dedert and her family live in Seminole, Fla. (Google Maps).
A Florida woman is behind bars after a failed series of early-morning attempts on her husband’s life after she expressed a desire to kill their son, Sunshine State authorities say.
Karen Ruth Dedert, 58, stands accused of one count of attempted murder in the first degree with a domestic-related component, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The underlying incident occurred at the couple’s residence on Tara Cay Court in Seminole – a small town in the Tampa Bay metro area.
At a quarter past 8 a.m. on Tuesday, deputies arrived at the suburban home in response to a report about an ongoing assault and battery. There, the defendant’s husband was found outside wearing a white robe and suffering a laceration to his left forearm, authorities say.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The harrowing – and ultimately violent – incident began hours earlier, the man allegedly told law enforcement, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by local Tampa Bay area news website IONTB and local NBC affiliate WFLA.
The trouble began around 5 a.m., the man allegedly told investigators, when his wife woke him up to ask where their son was.
“Where is our son?” the defendant allegedly asked her husband.
The husband asked his wife why she needed to know, authorities say.
Then, Dedert allegedly said: “I need to sacrifice and kill you both.”
The victim said his wife then tried to stab him with a large knife but he was able to fend her off, relieve her of the blade, and shelter himself in a downstairs bedroom, according to the affidavit.
Hours passed and the man eventually ventured out to another room.
At around 7:45 a.m., the victim had a brief encounter with his wife that did not entail violence, according to law enforcement.
Then, he took a shower.
After the shower, however, the defendant struck again, the man told deputies. This time, Dedert ambushed him as he was leaving one room and heading toward the kitchen, according to the affidavit.
Striking from behind the refrigerator, the wife aimed another knife for her husband’s abdomen, authorities say. Again, the man defended himself from the intended attack – but sustained a cut to his defending arm.
“I’m going to kill you,” the defendant allegedly repeatedly yelled during the ensuing scuffle as the couple battled for control of the weapon.
Dedert was disarmed yet again as the victim finally escaped from the house and dialed 911, according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived, the defendant was still inside the house and detained without incident. After being Mirandized, Dedert allegedly clammed up and refused to speak with investigators. At least at first.
At some point, the man’s wife allegedly told the deputies on the scene: “These aren’t the clothes I was wearing when I stabbed him.”
Dedert was booked in the Pinellas County Jail – at first without bond.
On Wednesday, she was granted $100,000 bond, court records show. In the event she makes bond, she will be placed on GPS monitoring and must have no contact with her husband. Dedert will also be allowed one visit to her residence in order to collect some of her personal belongings.
