Robert Petrick was arrested in 2003 for the death of his wife, Janine Sutphen, who was found wrapped in a tarp, tied in duct tape and floating in Raleigh's Falls Lake. The medical examiner concluded she had been suffocated and wrapped in sleeping bags with her legs chained.
Sutphen, 57, a cellist with the Durham Symphony, was reported missing by her husband Jan. 22, 2003 after she failed to show up for a rehearsal. Police later found her car, along with her keys and cello, inside a downtown Durham parking garage across the street from where rehearsal had been held.
Petrick, who represented himself in his murder trial, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Nov. 29 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He asked the judge in his trial for a court-appointed attorney to handle his appeal.
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Robert Petrick Had Fair Trial, Appeals Court Rules
The North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of a Durham man found guilty of killing his wife in 2003.
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Attorney: Court Erred in Allowing Petrick to Represent Self
Robert Petrick, who is in jail for the death of his wife, did not know all of his legal options before deciding to represent himself in his murder trial, his appeals attorney argued Wednesday.