Former cop allegedly strangled
wife in Malta
A Saratoga County sheriff's
patrol car is parked near the property where a woman was strangled in Malta.
MALTA — A former Nassau County
police officer allegedly choked his wife of 46 years to death Friday night
during a domestic dispute at their home, law enforcement officials said Monday.
Charles L. Wilkinson, 68, of 9
Meadow Rue Place, was arrested Sunday evening for second-degree murder in the
death of Kathleen Wilkinson, 65, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo said.
Zurlo said Wilkinson continued
to live in the home for more than a day following the alleged murder.
Wilkinson was arraigned Sunday
evening before Malta Town Justice James Fauci and sent to the Saratoga County
Jail in lieu of bail.
Zurlo and District Attorney
James A. Murphy III weren't commenting on the cause of death, but a felony
complaint filed with the town court indicated Wilkinson choked his wife to
death at about 10 p.m. Friday.
Wilkinson spoke at length with
investigators, though it isn't clear whether he confessed.
Murphy said police continue to
investigate to determine a motive.
Wilkinson retired from the
Nassau County Police Department in 1984, Murphy said, and then worked as a
painter. The couple moved to Malta about a decade ago. Wilkinson had worked
recently as a part-time security officer at the nearby GlobalFoundries computer
chip plant.
Responding to a request to
check Kathleen Wilkinson's welfare, Zurlo said Deputy Sean Lyons went to the
home in the quiet Luther Forest housing development about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He
said an adult son who lives in the Boston area asked for a check at the request
of a sister-in-law who lives in the Capital Region. Wilkinson "had not
been heard from in several days," the sheriff's department said.
"The responding deputy was
greeted at the door by Charles Wilkinson. After a period of discussion at the
door Charles Wilkinson allowed the deputy to enter the residence at which time
the deputy located the body of Kathleen Wilkinson deceased on the floor of a
first-floor bedroom," the sheriff's statement continued.
The cause of death wasn't
immediately obvious, Murphy said. More may be learned after an autopsy scheduled
for Monday afternoon was performed at Albany Medical Center.
A felony complaint filed by a
sheriff's investigator in Malta town court said: "Charles L. Wilkinson did
choke the victim," and gives the time as 10 p.m. Friday.
Murphy said investigators will
be especially careful in preparing the case, given that Wilkinson is a former
law enforcement officer.
"Any time we have a former
law enforcement official it's particularly difficult," Murphy said at a
press conference. "We are confident we will sustain our burden of
proof."
There was no history of prior
domestic violence calls to police from the home, Murphy and Zurlo said.
Second-degree murder carries a
potential penalty of 25 years to life in prison.
Murphy said the case will be
presented to a grand jury once all autopsy and toxicology test results are in.
Kathleen Wilkinson worked as a
teachers' aide on Long Island, but hadn't worked since the couple moved to
Malta.
As state police forensic
investigators continued to remove evidence from the home Monday morning, a Jeep
sitting in the driveway had four flat tires. Zurlo and Murphy said they didn't
know whether the flat tires had anything to do with the crime or actions
leading up to it. "I think investigators are curious about that as well,"
Murphy said.
About a month ago, the Jeep hit
the mailbox cluster on the opposite side of Meadow Rue Place, with state police
investigating.
This weekend's alleged killing
came just two weeks after Saratoga County's last murder case, which also
appeared to be related to domestic violence.
In that case, Schuylerville
High School student Matthew J. Brown, 18, was charged with second-degree murder
for allegedly stabbing Derick K. Clark, 32, in the neck during a violent
altercation between Clark and the teen's mother and fiance, 34-year-old Heather
Brown, at their home in Schuylerville. A self-defense claim is being made in
that case.
Two murder arrests so close
together is unusual in Saratoga County, which has a generally low crime rate
and can go a full year without a murder taking place.
Deputy
on leave after abuse arrest
TERRY L. JONES
NEW ROADS — A Pointe Coupee
Sheriff’s deputy was suspended Tuesday after he was arrested the night before
for allegedly choking his wife during an argument.
Stephen Louis, 32, 607 Railroad
Ave., was booked Monday night into the Pointe Coupee Parish Jail on a count of
second-degree battery by domestic violence after his wife filed a complaint
against him with the New Roads Police Department.
Chief Kevin McDonald said
Tuesday his officers were called to the couple’s house around 11:15 p.m.
Monday.
“The officers said she had some
red markings around her neck,” McDonald said.
The couple had been shouting at
one another when Louis started choking his wife. Louis, who had just gotten off
duty from work, was still in uniform, McDonald said.
The chief said it wasn’t the
first time officers had to respond to a domestic disturbance involving the
couple, but he declined to release more details.
Louis, a deputy with the Pointe
Coupee Sheriff’s Office for approximately a year, was placed on administrative
leave without pay pending a review of city police investigation, Sheriff Bud
Torres said Tuesday morning.
“As a police officer you are
supposed to be a peace officer and you should practice that at home, too,”
Torres said. “It’s an unfortunate issue. But it’s something we won’t tolerate.”
Judy Benitez, executive
director of the Iris Domestic Violence Center in Baton Rouge, which offers
shelter and services to abused women in nine parishes, including Pointe Coupee,
said domestic abuse is not more common among law enforcement officers.
“It does seem like this type of
incident is occurring more and more with cops but that’s because when it does,
it tends to make the news,” Benitez said. “I’m not aware of any statistics that
claim this happens any more frequently than it does with any other profession.
It’s just something we tend to hear about because its the opposite of what we
think would happen (with a law enforcement officer).”
Louis makes the fourth deputy
this year Torres has suspended.
The sheriff suspended three
deputies in April because they did not follow proper protocol when they
responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a New Roads police officer.
The Louisiana State Police had
launched a probe into the incident after witnesses complained the deputies
didn’t ticket or arrest the police officer who was suspected of driving under
the influence at the time of the crash.
Normal officer charged with domestic battery resigns
Edith Brady-Lunny
criminal charges alleging
domesti… Read more
NORMAL — A Normal police
lieutenant charged with domestic battery has resigned his post.
Daniel Kelley was put on
administrative leave following a Feb. 22 incident at his Lexington home.
Kelley's resignation ends the internal investigation by the department into his
off-duty conduct.
Criminal charges filed March 6
accuse Kelley of allegedly pushing a woman to the ground and causing bruises by
hitting her.
In a statement Monday, Normal
police administration said "the investigation has concluded and Lt. Kelley
has resigned." NPD refused to
release the date or any other detail of the resignation.
Kelley did not attend a hearing
in McLean County Circuit Court on Monday on the domestic battery charge. His
lawyer, Stephanie Wong, told Associate Judge Michael Stroh that "there's
continuing discussion" between the defense and special prosecutor Lorinda
Lamken.
Wong did not disclose the
specific of the talks. She asked for one more pre-trial hearing, set for July
2.
Kelley remains free on $325
bond. As part of his release, he was ordered to have no contact with the
alleged victim.
The criminal investigation was
handled by the McLean County Sheriff's Department that has jurisdiction over
the area where the incident took place.
The 41-year-old officer turned himself in to authorities after charges
were filed.
