Man, 85, Arrested for Allegedly Fatally Stabbing Wife Over Pancake Dispute

What started as a dispute between an elderly D.C. couple over pancakes ended in death, authorities say.

Steven Schwartz, 85, of Washington is accused of killing his 81-year-old wife, Sharron, on Dec. 10, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release the following day.

Prosecutors said the pair got into an argument over his refusal to eat the pancakes she had prepared him.

According to the police release, authorities responded to a report of a stabbing and were unable to save the victim’s life after finding her with multiple stab wounds.

“On Sunday, December 10, 2023, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Third District officers responded to the 1300 block of Corcoran Street, Northwest, for the report of a stabbing,” the department said.

“Upon arrival, officers located a woman inside of an apartment with injuries.”

“A man was also located in the residence with self-inflicted injuries. Both were transported to local hospitals for treatment, where the woman died.”

After police investigated the incident, Schwartz was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.

“The victim and suspect were married,” the release said. “The victim has been identified as 81-year-old Sharron Hilda Schwartz, of Northwest, DC.”

Appearing in D.C. court via video on Dec. 14, Schwartz entered a plea of not guilty, according to WRC-TV in Washington.

He was consequently held without bond after the judge determined that there was probable cause the 85-year-old had committed the murder.

Pancakes.
An 85-year-old man allegedly stabbed his wife to death in their D.C. apartment over what officials say was a dispute about pancakes she made.
Police say Steven Schwartz and 81-year-old Sharron Schwartz are married: @fox5dc https://t.co/TxRk5txQef

— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) December 16, 2023

“In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney [Matthew M.] Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Assistant United States Attorney Nebiyu Feleke for his efforts in prosecuting this case,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District for Colombia said in a Dec. 14 news release.

“Defendant Did Not Want to Eat the Pancakes She Made and Stabbed Her in the Back,” the release said.

No further details were provided about the couple’s marriage or the lead-up to the incident.

Schwartz’s preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 2.

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Ben Kew is a conservative journalist and commentator. Originally from the United Kingdom, he studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol. He started his career at Breitbart London aged 20, before moving to the U.S. to cover Congress and eventually becoming the outlet’s Latin America correspondent until the end of 2020. Since then he has worked in editorial roles at RedState and Human Events. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, The Epoch Times, The Critic and PanAm Post.

Ben Kew is a conservative journalist and commentator. Originally from the United Kingdom, he studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol. He started his career at Breitbart London aged 20, before moving to the U.S. to cover Congress and eventually becoming the outlet’s Latin America correspondent until the end of 2020. Since then he has worked in editorial roles at RedState and Human Events. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, The Epoch Times, The Critic and PanAm Post.