Woman, 41, accused of murdering 82-year-old husband after allegedly making vile claims about his behavior to neighbors

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:57, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 19:14, 21 July 2026 An Arizona woman murdered her artist husband inside their home and claimed to their neighbors that he was a pedophile, court papers said. Christina Copley, 41, was arrested on Saturday after allegedly murdering her husband Ed Copley, 82, inside their home in a gated community in Mesa.  Police were called after Christina allegedly showed up at her neighbor's home armed with a 13-inch kitchen knife covered in blood and admitted to the killing.  Witnesses told officers that she had blood on her face, neck, legs and her right arm when she made the shock admission. After officers arrived, they entered the home the couple shared to find Ed dead on the floor next to a bed. Ed Copley is an award winning known artist, author and lecturer who has had his work shown in galleries across the US. While being questioned by police, Christina denied killing him but told investigators her husband had tried to attack her with a knife, court papers seen by AZFamily said.  Christina said she had cuts on her hands from wrestling the knife from him, claiming she was kicked by her husband who also called her racist names, the papers said. Christina Copley, 41, was arrested on Saturday after allegedly murdering her husband Ed Copley Ed Copley is an award winning known artist, author and lecturer who has had his work shown in galleries across the US While being questioned, police said she admitted to going 'ballistic' and 'swinging' the knife. Police also said that Christina told them she suffered from bipolar disorder and had previously been prescribed lithium.  Her neighbors told investigators that for the last few months she had claimed Ed was abusive to her. They also said that Christina had claimed her husband was a child molester and had abused and raped her daughter. Investigators noted her stories were inconsistent. The couple's neighbors Ryan and Kelli Andrews told 12News about what happened when Christina appeared at their address.  Ryan said: 'When I fully opened the door, I noticed that she had her knife in the right hand. 'Her whole right arm was just covered in blood. Her left arm too. There was some on her face, her legs, her chest. It was all over. 'She was just staring at nothing, and at that point, we kind of backed away because you don't really know because she could have easily stabbed one of us.'  Flowers and candles have since been left outside of Copley's Mesa gallery which he opened in May Flowers and candles have since been left outside of Ed's Mesa gallery which he opened in May.  Christina was booked into jail on a second-degree murder charge with a cash only bond set at $500,000.   She has prior convictions for assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage. She was also recently arrested for domestic violence against her husband.  The Daily Mail has reached out to the Mesa Police Department for further information on the charge.  Copley was a celebrated artist and a direct descendant of John Singleton Copley, one of the country's most notable colonial portraitists who captured the likes of John Quincy Adams and Paul Revere. Ed received many accolades for his own portrait work over the years, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for Realism Artist from Albert Nelson Marquis Who’s Who in the Arts in 2023.