Caption
Close
A 53-year-old Fort Worth-area man was arrested on a murder charge this week after initially claiming his wife had hung herself, according to the city of Burleson.
Richard Allen Ward called emergency personnel at 4 a.m. Saturday and said his wife, 52-year-old Cynthia Thompson, had committed suicide by hanging herself in their garage in the 1300 block of Erin Court.
RELATED: Crime Stoppers offering reward for tips in December shooting death of man, 53
The woman was transported to Huguley Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 5:03 a.m., a news release said Wednesday.
City spokeswoman DeAnna Phillips said investigators initially did not see any signs of foul play, but later sought a murder warrant for the victim’s husband.
Richard Allen Ward was arrested Monday at the Burleson Police Department and was transported to the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center in Cleburne. He was booked into the jail and is being held on a $500,000 bond, the release said.
RELATED: Police: Man arrested for lighting garage on fire after wife didn’t make dinner
Phillips said Ward had previously been convicted of assault causing bodily injury/family violence, a Class A misdemeanor, in September 2015. He served 38 days in jail for that charge, she said.
If convicted, Wards faces five to 99 years or life in prison.
twhite@mysa.com
Twitter: @tylerlwhite
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.