A 71-year-old Florida woman is accused of assaulting and trying to kill her husband of 52 years over a postcard he received from a woman in Turkey that he had dated six decades ago.
They say we get wiser and more understanding as we get older, but apparently, jealousy never gets old. 71-year-old Bertha Yalter of North Miami Beach is facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery on a person 65 and older after allegedly attacking her husband in a feat of rage. According to the arrest report, Yalter tried to smother her elderly husband with a pillow after learning that he had received a postcard from a woman in Turkey whom he had dated around 60 years ago. The attack occurred at the couple’s condominium in the Eastern Shores area of North Miami Beach and left the visibly frail man with bruises and open lacerations on both of his arms and stomach area, as well as bleeding bite marks.
Photo: Unsplash
According to some sources, Bertha got upset after her husband admitted to replying to his old fling’s postcard, but that doesn’t justify her violent reaction. The woman’s lawyer told reporters that the elderly couple got into an argument, the repercussions of which were regrettable, but added that there was no need to charge her with attempted murder.
On the other hand, a state attorney explained that attempted pillow smothering was indeed attempted murder because “that would suffocate and kill him.”
“I think she also admitted to urinating on him,” the state’s attorney said. “So, I think if you look at the totality of the circumstances, this appears to be more than a domestic battery by strangulation.”
Bertha Yalter’s husband is currently recovering from her jealousy-fueled attack and is actually trying to get her out of jail. Despite his original statement, he now denied being smothered with a pillow and claims he is “fine”. Police say there is a cell phone video of the incident which will be used as evidence to clarify what really happened.
It’s unclear whether Bertha is still in jail, but even when she gets released, she must stay away from her “extremely fragile” husband per a court order.
