An Indian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife in a parking lot in Florida in 2020. Philip Mathew pleaded no contest to the first-degree murder of his wife, Merin Joy, who was planning to escape an abusive relationship. The plea deal spared him from the possibility of a death sentence. Joy, a 26-year-old nurse, was stabbed 17 times at Broward Health Coral Springs, where she worked. Mathew blocked her car in with his vehicle, slashed her, and then drove over her body before fleeing the scene. According to witnesses, he ran over her "like she was a speed bump."

Despite her injuries, Joy managed to reveal her attacker's identity before she died. During the trial, Mathew also pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was immediately sentenced to life in state prison with no possibility of release, as well as a maximum of five years for the aggravated assault charge. The decision to waive the death penalty was made due to the certainty of the life sentence and Mathew giving up his right to appeal. Joy's family, residing in India, expressed deep sadness over the loss of their daughter. Joy's mother, upon hearing the news of the life sentence, expressed relief that her daughter's killer would spend the rest of his life behind bars. The family expressed gratitude that the legal process had come to an end.