Truck drivers know better than most that a long haul can test your limits. But police officers in Frederick County, Maryland, walked into something far beyond operator fatigue when they responded to a welfare check.

The call came from a Costco depot in New Market just after 1:30 a.m. on September 24, 2023.

48-year-old New Jersey trucker Matthew Sidney Watley had reportedly been seen yelling at his tractor trailer and tearing apart its interior.

Security staff said he’d punched his windshield, cut himself, and started leaning on the horn

They also reported that the trailer had disconnected abruptly and been dragged several feet. 

Deputies arrived to find Watley in the driver’s seat, speaking incoherently and refusing commands to shut down the engine.

Police threw down stop sticks and wheel chocks

But it did little to halt the truck driver. He attempted to start and stop the truck repeatedly, putting surrounding officers at risk.

After using a Halligan tool to punch the tires and showering the driver with pepper spray, deputies finally managed to open the cabin doors. They pulled Watley out and got him in handcuffs. They noted he had what appeared to be blood on his hands, shirt, and face.

According to the State’s Attorney’s Office press release, when deputies simultaneously searched the cab, they found 46-year-old Candice Thompson. She was lying face down on the floor without a pulse.

First responders later pronounced Thompson dead by EMS at 3 a.m. Investigators reported she had multiple stab wounds to her back, and medical officials listed preliminary cause of death as blunt and sharp force trauma. Allegedly, the pair were domestic partners.

Watley was transported to Frederick Health Hospital and remained there under medical and mental health care while an arrest warrant was issued.

Officials stated the couple had a police-documented history of domestic violence in New Jersey. He pleaded guilty in Frederick County Circuit Court on October 21, 2025.

Just before Thanksgiving, the judge ordered Watley to serve 40 years in the Maryland Division of Corrections, the maximum allowed

Prosecutors said domestic violence deaths are increasingly common and stressed the need for early intervention. Thompson’s mother addressed the court and described her family as shattered by the loss.

You can watch the department’s body cam footage of the incident below, with a fair warning that the entire encounter is included up to Watley’s arrest.