Addison Man Sentenced to 52 Years for Wife's Stabbing Murder

Addison, IL - A 36-year-old Addison man who pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and trying to kill his stepson has been sentenced to 52 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Kurtis Worley of the 900 block of Craig Place in Addison, entered his blind guilty plea January 15 to three charges — two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempt first degree murder, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

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The first degree murder charges resulted in 40 years of the total sentence, and 12 years are for the attempted first degree murder charge. Worley will serve the years of his sentence consecutively, the office reports. Worley will complete just over 50 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

“In the early morning hours of July 26, 2013, Kurtis Worley armed himself with not one, but two knives and viciously stabbed his wife Martha to death as she slept in their bed,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin in a statement. “Thanks to the outstanding work of the Addison Police Department, this brutal and cowardly attack will not go unpunished as Mr. Worley will now spend the next fifty years of his life behind bars."

Prosecutors say Kurtis Worley stabbed his wife multiple times in the head and face July 26, 2013, and he also stabbed his step son in the neck when he came into the room after hearing his mother’s cries for help.

Addison police responding to a 911 call around 3 a.m. that morning found Martha Worley on the bed with wounds on her face and head.

Police found Kurtis Worley on the bedroom floor with cuts on his wrists and neck, which were later found to be self-inflicted, the state's attorney's office reports. Martha Worley was taken to Loyola, where she died around 5 p.m. of her injuries.

Kurtis Worley was also taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The couple’s son survived the knife attack.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Martha’s surviving family and friends," Berlin said. "It is my hope that today’s sentence will help those who knew and loved Martha gain some measure of closure as they continue on with their lives with only memories of Martha.”

Photo courtesy of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.