The 85-year-old man allegedly told police that the murder was a result of months of frustration with his wife that had been building up until he finally lost it and killed her, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
A Utah man who was arrested after brutally murdering his wife on Friday was pronounced dead while in police custody.
Ronald J. Morgan, 85, was booked on Friday for aggravated murder by the Lehi County Police, Utah County Sheriff’s Office said. While in jail he suffered medical problems and was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital, according to authorities.
Police responded to a report Friday that Morgan’s wife was “covered in blood” and when they arrived, they found that she had “multiple traumatic injuries,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Officials also found Morgan with blood on him at the scene and he was allegedly heard muttering that he had killed her, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
As Morgan was being put into the ambulance to have his injuries treated, he saw his wife's family and yelled to them that he had killed her, according to ABC 4.
Morgan allegedly told police at the hospital that he was exhausted because “what he had done wasn’t as easy as shooting her,” ABC 4 reported.
The 85-year-old man reportedly told police that as a result of months of frustration with his wife that had been building up, he finally lost it and killed her, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Morgan allegedly told investigators he had strangled, punched, slapped, and stomped on his wife repeatedly until he thought she was dead, ABC 4 reported. He also allegedly grabbed a box with metal edges, shoes, and a wooden box to bludgeon her head.
Authorities had not identified the victim by name as of Monday night, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Since Morgan suffered a medical problem in custody that led to his death, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said they will be investigating it as an in-custody death.
