BARNSTABLE — 022817 — Christopher S. Fratantonio of Cotuit talks with his attorneys, Attorney Ruth McLaughlin, left, and Colleen Duarte, right, during his arraignment in Barnstable District Court. He was charged for killing his wife Mary J. Fratantonio.
Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times pool photo
BARNSTABLE – The man accused of murdering his wife in Cotuit in February is scheduled to return to court today.
36-year-old Christopher Fratantonio will be back in Barnstable District Court for a pre-trial hearing. He pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Prosecutors say he stabbed his wife, 35-year-old Mary Fratantonio, a special education teacher at Barnstable High School.
Police said Fratantonio admitted to the crime when officers arrived at their home on Trout Brook Road.
According to police, he gave a detailed description of his motive and how he allegedly carried out the attack, including the location of the knife.
Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe has not commented on the circumstances surrounding the killing, only saying there was something “that was a trigger for this event.”
O’Keefe has said that it appears the murder was an incident of domestic violence.
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