A Fouke, Ark., woman accused of manslaughter in the stabbing death of her husband earlier this year entered a not guilty plea Tuesday in a Miller County courtroom.
Tarah Wynette Fries, 25, appeared with Texarkana lawyer John Pickett before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones for arraignment at a hearing in the Miller County jail complex Tuesday morning. After Pickett entered a not guilty plea on Fries' behalf, Jones set the case for a pretrial hearing next month.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell signed off in March on a formal charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of James Fries, 35, at a home on Miller County Road 10 in Fouke during the early hours of Jan. 5. Fries told investigators she acted in self-defense, according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account.
Emergency dispatchers received a 911 call from Tarah Fries shortly after 2 a.m. Tarah Fries allegedly said she stabbed James Fries in self-defense after an hours-long argument. Tarah Fries reportedly told investigators she locked herself in the bathroom with a steak knife. Tarah Fries said James Fries wanted to get her cellphone because it contained images of James Fries he did not want anyone else to see.
"Mrs. Fries stated that she had a knife in her hand, and if he attacked her again, she would defend herself," the affidavit states.
Tarah Fries allegedly told investigators James Fries kicked in the bathroom door and was stabbed as he tackled her. James Fries allegedly then ran outside, went down the driveway and then returned, asking to be taken to a hospital.
When deputies arrived, they found James Fries on the ground and Tarah Fries on the phone with 911. James Fries' adult son told deputies he had gone outside to "get away from the arguing" when he heard a scream and his father ran out of the house, stating he needed to go to a hospital.
The son told investigators he had his father in a car and was looking for keys when Tarah Fries got in the car. The son said he would not allow Tarah Fries to drive because "she was drunk," the affidavit states.
James Fries allegedly got out of the car and asked for an ambulance before collapsing on the ground. Despite the efforts of paramedics, he died at the scene. His body was sent to the state crime laboratory in Little Rock for an autopsy.
According to court documents, James Fries had filed for divorce from Tarah Fries in August 2014. Tarah Fries alleged in documents filed in the divorce case that James Fries had behaved aggressively toward her, but James Fries filed documents in response denying her claim. The documents reflect a tumultuous relationship. The couple's three children, ages 7, 5 and 2, were in the home, as was an 18-year-old son of James Fries from a prior marriage.
Tarah Fries is free on a $10,000 bond. Manslaughter is punishable by three to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.