Arlington man who bought "murder kit" convicted in 17 minutes of fatally stabbing estranged wife, prosecutors say

In just 17 minutes, a Tarrant County jury convicted an Arlington man of capital murder in the 2025 stabbing death of his estranged wife, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Frederick Spears, 57, was automatically sentenced to life without parole for killing 53-year-old Mary Spears, days after a judge ordered him to stay away from her and Arlington police mistakenly dropped him off at her home.

According to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, Frederick Spears stabbed her multiple times in the backyard of her Arlington home in the 1000 block of Shortleaf Pine Drive on Sept. 22, 2025.

"She was slaughtered and left for dead," said Allenna Bangs, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney.

Authorities said Frederick Spears bought a knife and saw kit – described as a "murder kit" – before returning to the home early that morning.

Prosecutors said he waited in the backyard near the side of the house and confronted her. They said she tried to fight back at only 83 pounds before he stabbed her repeatedly after she asked him, "What took you so long?"

"She tried to fight back," Assistant District Attorney Chase Payne told jurors. "She was unsuccessful."

Mary Spears' son, Ashton, found her unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to police.

"He (Frederick Spears) made good on the promise he had been making (to Mary) for years," Bangs said. "He always said, 'I'm going to kill you.'"

Authorities located Frederick Spears behind a church, where he stabbed himself and attempted to stab a police K‑9 before being subdued and hospitalized.

Four days earlier, Frederick Spears had been arrested for threatening his son with knives.

At the time of the stabbing, Ashton Spears shared Ring camera footage with CBS News Texas showing the Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, incident that police say led to his father initially being charged with aggravated assault–family violence.

The video shows Frederick Spears holding a knife and threatening him.

Ashton Spears said his father had a long history of violence.

"You have to walk on eggshells with him. You don't want to make him mad," he told CBS News Texas.

He said he told his mother he was tired of being pushed around.

"I was like, you know, 'Mom, I'm tired of him pushing me around and trying to terrify me,'" he said. "And she was like, 'Please, I don't want him to hear us' – and he came running out of my mom's room, and he was just cursing, screaming, and yelling."

Ring camera footage captured what happened next.

"My mom, she's like, 'Ashton, he has knives,' and that's when I realized he had two knives. He had one in each hand," he said.

After being jailed, Frederick Spears posted bond and was released. An emergency protective order was issued barring contact with Mary Spears and her family.

On the same day, an Arlington police officer gave Frederick Spears a ride back to Mary Spears' home under the premise that he was retrieving his vehicle, which led to another verbal argument, police said. An officer instructed him to leave, and he complied, police said.

Days later, Mary Spears was dead, and Frederick Spears was jailed on capital murder charges.

Despite the trauma, Ashton Spears chose to forgive his father.

"I wouldn't wish this upon anyone; I wouldn't even wish it upon him," he told CBS News Texas in 2025. "I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize me going to heaven – the only way I will get to see my mom again."

He said he was holding onto her love and kindness.

"She was an amazing woman," he said.