Friends revealed Danielle Redlick (right) used to be her husband's stepdaughter. Police say she stabbed Michael Redlick (left) to death. Photo / Supplied
Friends revealed Danielle Redlick (right) used to be her husband's stepdaughter. Police say she stabbed Michael Redlick (left) to death. Photo / Supplied
A woman accused of murdering her much older husband in a fit of jealous rage used to be his stepdaughter, it has been revealed.
The jawdropping secret backstory to the couple's "toxic" relationship was revealed by a family friend as Danielle Redlick, 45, awaits a trial date for allegedly killing Michael Redlick, 65.
Ms Redlick was arrested after her sports executive husband of 17 years was found dead in a pool of blood in the couple's lavish home in Winter Park, Florida in January, news.com.au reports.
She initially told police that Mr Redlick, a University of Central Florida executive who once worked for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies had "stabbed himself to death" after discovering a text message on her phone from another man.
But a post mortem examination revealed the multiple knife wounds sustained by the victim — particularly the ones to his face — were too severe to have been self-inflicted.
Ms Redlick has been charged with second degree murder and tampering with evidence but denies any wrongdoing.
Police will allege the pair had been plagued by infidelity issues for some time, with Ms Redlick filing for divorce in 2018 after having accused her husband of cheating, according to court documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
The couple's two children, a son and daughter aged 11 and 15, allegedly told police their parents were "both alcoholics" and described their marriage as "toxic".
Their relationship was so volatile that verbal arguments would quickly deteriorate into scuffles, with each slapping and scratching the other, the siblings told detectives, according to WFTV.
Police allege Danielle Redlick killed her husband in a fit of jealous rage. Above is a note from her journal about his alleged infidelity. Photo / WFTV
The already unusual story, which has made headlines in the US, took a bizarre turn yesterday when a family friend revealed Mr Redlick was once married to his wife's mother, Cathy.
"In fairness to Mike, Danielle's mother was dying of cancer when they were dating," the family friend told investigators, according to documents from Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office obtained by WFTV.
"She had terrible insurance."
The friend said Cathy died in 1999 and Mr Redlick married her daughter three years later.
"AS LONG AS I CAN LOCK THE KNIVES UP, I'M OK"
Friends of Michael and Danielle Redlick have told investigators the marriage had been rocky for some time, with arguments between the pair often turning into ugly physical fights.
"I said, 'How are things at home … and he would say, 'As long as I can lock the knives up, I'm OK,'" one friend, who asked not to be identified, told WFTV.
Another friend, Anthony Barone, told WESH Michael had shared several stories with him about of his wife's alleged aggressions.
On one occasion, Mr Redlick told him of an incident which occurred while he and his wife were engaged in a kiss.
"They started kissing, and he said: 'she just snapped and started hitting me in the face really hard'," Mr Barone said.
Ms Redlick told police tensions between she and her husband were high on the night of his death and that Mr Redlick was following her around the house.
A bloody knife lies on the tiled floor near the bathroom of Michael and Danielle Redlick's l lavish Florida villa. Photo / WFTV
"I was trying not to engage," she told police, according to court documents.
"I locked myself in the bathroom. He broke the door open. He was scaring me, so I decided to leave."
"HE STABBED HIMSELF TO DEATH"
Police will allege Danielle Redlick waited 11 hours before calling for help as her husband lay dying in their upscale Florida villa on January 12 this year.
They claim she spent much of that time checking dating apps on her mobile phone.
Paramedics arrived to find Michael Redlick's body in a pool of blood, with bloody towels next to him and a trail of blood leading to the master bedroom.
Ms Redman initially told detectives her husband died of a heart attack before changing her story and to say he had stabbed himself to death as the pair over a text message.
"He found a text from another man to me," she told detectives, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
"We had had some issues and, last year, he basically cheated on me and it was a big, long drawn-out thing. And we finally came around to living together again and possibly trying to work it through, but I think that really wasn't happening and, in my mind, it was inevitably going to probably separate again."
The county medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, determining his stab wounds were not self-inflicted and that he suffered injuries that appeared to be defensive.
Ms Redlick has been remanded in custody as she awaits a trial date.
