‘I heard her take her last breath’: Man beat girlfriend to death with more than 20 hammer blows
A Montgomery County jury has convicted Michael Carey Jr., 47, of first-degree murder for the brutal killing of his girlfriend, 34-year-old Jessica Zipkin. The crime, which prosecutors described as “vicious” and “gruesome,” left Zipkin dead after Carey struck her in the head more than 20 times with a hammer. Carey was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole — the mandatory punishment for first-degree murder in Pennsylvania.
The attack occurred on the afternoon of November 1 at the couple’s shared residence in Perkiomen Township. Instead of calling authorities immediately, Carey waited nearly ten hours before the crime came to light. Just after midnight on November 2, he told the building’s owner there was a dead woman inside his apartment. Police responded shortly after, discovering Zipkin lying face down on the bedroom floor with catastrophic head injuries.
An autopsy confirmed her death was caused by blunt force trauma. Assistant District Attorney Christian Taffe said the hammer strikes were so severe that the victim’s brain was left “partially liquefied.” Neighbors reported hearing a woman’s screams on the day of the attack, followed soon after by Carey discarding clothing in a trash can behind a nearby restaurant.
Prosecutors said Carey took several steps to cover up the killing, including showering, changing clothes, and attempting to dispose of evidence. His efforts, however, did little to mask the brutality of the crime. In a recorded jail call weeks later, Carey chillingly admitted, “I heard her take her last breath … it is what it is.”
During the trial, Carey’s defense attorneys argued that his actions were influenced by heavy drug use, including methamphetamine. They claimed his impaired state meant he could not have planned a premeditated murder. Despite the defense’s argument, the jury took just ninety minutes to return a guilty verdict.
Judge Wendy Rothstein, who handed down the life sentence, condemned Carey’s actions, calling the murder “vicious” and “indescribably brutal.” Zipkin’s family, left devastated by the loss, now grieves a daughter, sister, aunt, and niece remembered in her obituary as deeply loved by her family and friends.
The case underscores both the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the enduring pain it leaves behind for surviving families. Carey will spend the rest of his life behind bars, with no possibility of release.
