A woman's attack on her husband inside an Atlantic City casino hotel room last year was an aberration brought on by severe depression, according to testimony at her detention hearing Monday.Majocyline Tan , 64, is accused of stabbing her 72-year-old husband and herself on Dec. 11, inside a Golden Nugget hotel room.Testimony by the couple's 37-year-old son helped convince the judge to allow Tan to be released, despite a recommendation from the public safety assessment that she be held.He said his mother was in a severe depression just before the incident took place, and that nothing close to that had ever happened before.She spent six weeks receiving psychiatric treatment at the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton, where her son visited twice a week and said he saw her improvement. He said if his mother started suffering again, "we would have team behind us. We would have help this time."She was released last week, and has been in the Atlantic County Justice Facility since Wednesday.There had never been any violence between Tan and Dr. Edgardo Tan in 41 years of marriage, attorney John Tumelty told the judge. They also have worked together for 25 years at Dr. Tan's pediatric office, where his wife is a nurse.While the police described a bloody scene, Dr. Edgardo Tan describes his wounds as "superficial," Tumelty said. Dr. Tan did require some stitches.Majocyline Tan will now stay with her son and his wife in Monmouth County.He and his wife will set their schedules so she is not alone.Tan cannot have any contact with her husband, Judge Nancy Ridgway said.But that part of her order could change after more reports on her mental health become available, the judge said.The judge noted that Tan had no criminal history at all and that the public safety assessment — used under bail reform — had her at the lowest risk both for failure to appear and likelihood to re-offend.Tan has a scar on her neck from the self-inflicted attack."This was an absolute mental breakdown," Tumelty said outside the courtroom. "Her state of mind will be a critical issue in how we resolve this issue."He said he expects it will resolve fairly quickly.
Note: The Atlantic County Justice Facility no longer provides mugshots to the media, citing the Atlantic County prosecutor’s order. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office says it’s part of the Attorney General’s Guidelines. There is no such guideline, according to the Attorney General’s Office, but they have told these offices for years that they should not release any photos that appear to be mugshots.
A Middlesex County couple is hospitalized after the woman allegedly stabbed her husband and then herself inside an Atlantic City casino hotel room. Police were called to the Golden Nugget at 9:38 Wednesday morning after security guards responding to a reported argument found the pair stabbed. Majocyline Tan allegedly stabbed her 72-year-old husband multiple times before stabbing herself. Read more...
