Police: Wife tortured before spouse killed

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001 | 8:47 a.m.

Prosecutors will determine if a woman will face murder charges for killing her common-law husband Tuesday after he had tortured her for days.

A woman called police Tuesday about 7:50 a.m. saying her husband had shot himself, but she quickly told investigators she killed her 32-year-old husband, police said.

"There is some mitigation, and we will let the district attorney's office review the case to see if it warrants prosecution," Lt. Wayne Petersen said. "She suffered extensive abuse and she may have been protecting her children."

The woman was taken to University Medical Center Tuesday for treatment, and her three children -- ages 12, 2 and 1 -- were sent to grandparents' house. The children were not injured, but police said the man threatened to harm them before he was shot.

The woman and the three children had been held captive since Friday by the man in their home in the Millennium Estates mobile home park on Lamb Boulevard between Washington Avenue and Bonanza Road, Petersen said.

The woman had bruises and burns on her body. Neighbors and the man's family told police he had abused his wife in the past.