According to the police officials, the elderly husband, later identified as 84-year-old Barton, was arrested and later charged with first- and third-degree murder after he reportedly killed his 85-year-old wife Margaret. Police officials said the man grabbed a chair and shoved the legs at the victim, who fell and hit her head on the floor.
The 84-year-old man then repeatedly punched Margaret on the head, killing her. The fatal incident occurred following an argument. The elderly couple reportedly got into an argument over a vet biII for their pet. Per reports, the elderly husband called 911 and told the dispatcher that an intruder reportedly broke in and beat his wife to death. The responding officers reportedly found the woman lying on the floor with obvious blunt force injuries to the head.
Officers then found the man, who reportedly had bl00d on his hands, face, and clothing. During an interview with investigators, the 84-year-old husband reportedly said that he and Margaret got into an argument over money for the vet care of their cat. According to Barton, his wife then reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to kill him. The elderly husband then told investigators that he grabbed a chair, shoved the legs at the victim, who fell and hit her head on the floor.
The 84-year-old man then repeatedly punched Margaret on the head, killing her. According to family members, Barton may have been experiencing memory loss in the weeks before the killing. Barton’s sister-in-law, Sandy, reportedly told local news outlets: “In the last five or six weeks, Margaret said he was suffering from dementia, he wasn’t remembering things. Like if he went somewhere, he wasn’t remembering where he was at and things and she was concerned about it.”