A detective from an Arizona prosecutor’s office is facing a murder charge for strangling his wife and leaving her body in their bedroom while their children were at home.
John Byrd was taken into custody by Mesa, Arizona authorities earlier this week in connection with the case.
On July 31, police were called to a home for a possible missing person after friends reported that they hadn’t seen the victim all day and she didn’t attend her regular gym class, according to ABC 15. The victim’s 11-year-old son told the friend that he and his two younger siblings, aged 8 and 4, hadn’t seen their mother and that she was locked in her bedroom.
The friend, concerned about the situation, picked up the children and brought them to her home.
When police arrived, they found the victim dead in the bedroom, with no visible injuries at the time.
Mesa police later found Byrd driving the victim’s vehicle and pulled him over. He was taken to the police station for questioning, where he admitted to being stressed about his personal and professional life. Byrd told police that he had a “heated argument” with his wife and claimed “a switch just flipped.”
Byrd confessed to strangling his wife and leaving her in the bedroom, locking the door to keep their children from seeing her.
Authorities have charged Byrd with second-degree murder. He was previously a detective with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. The investigation will be handled by prosecutors from nearby Pinal County.