Marshall chef is bonded out of jail, accused of stabbing older woman next day
MARSHALL - A Marshall resident who is a well known chef is being charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill after he slashed an older woman's throat at a residence in Hot Springs in the early morning on March 26, a day after he was released by the Madison County magistrate's office.
Thomas Fecke, 59, of Marshall, was arrested March 25 and charged with disorderly conduct and assault by pointing a gun, both misdemeanor charges, and released, only to be arrested again later that evening by Marshall Police Sgt. Kenny Brown after Fecke returned to Marshall from Hot Springs.
The stabbing victim, an older woman in Hot Springs, was airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center and is in stable condition, according to Marshall Police Chief Mike Boone. The woman is believed to have been friendly with Fecke, according to Boone and the arresting officer, Brown.
Fecke worked as a chef at Wolf Laurel Country Club in Mars Hill and Mountain Magnolia Inn in Hot Springs.
Boone said the incident could have been avoided if the magistrate's office had followed his department's recommendation to have Fecke involuntarily committed.
"After taking statements from people that have been around this guy and his actions from earlier in the day (March 25), (Marshall PD) Officer (Tori) Murdoch proceeded to the magistrate's office to secure warrants for discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, and involuntary commitment papers," Boone said.
"The magistrate on duty at the time did not do the involuntary commitment papers and went a different route with the criminal charges. I still don't know what the reasoning was from the magistrate, but I have not spoken with them."
Boone said the department first contacted Fecke to perform a well-being check at his South Main Street apartment in downtown Marshall, located above Of Wand And Earth, around 6 p.m. March 24, after neighbors reported gunshots.
Boone said Murdoch responded to Fecke's apartment and found a firearm had been discharged inside the apartment through the front door down the hallway of the building.
"The charge that we sought was a felony charge ― discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. Even though he was in his apartment, he fired through the door exiting his residence down the hallway to another residence," Boone said. "That could have easily been myself or Officer Murdoch doing the well-being check, where we're going just to check on an individual."
The Madison County Magistrate's Office was not immediately available for comment March 26.
Fecke is being held at the Madison County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Marshall man is bonded out of jail, stabs someone next day
