reports that a York County judge last week had cleared the way for the release of 49-year-old Joe Fitzpatrick III of Chanceford Township. He’s accused of having drowned 43-year-old Annemarie Fitzpatrick in a creek in June 2012 and then telling police they crashed their ATV in the water.
But the Pennsylvania Superior Court has temporarily stayed the decision as it reviews the emergency petition. Authorities alleged that Fitzpatrick wanted out of his marriage, was emotionally involved with another woman and had a $1.7 million life insurance policy on his wife. Hours before her death, prosecutors said, Annemarie Fitzpatrick wrote, dated and signed a note in her day-planner at work saying “If anything happens to me — Joe.” She also wrote an email to herself titled “if something happens to me” saying the couple had marital problems and a huge log had almost fallen on her the night before.