Three children were home when police say their mother was shot to death in their home.
A Utah man was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after the woman’s 9-year old son found her dead in a bathroom, according to news reports.
Thirty-six-year-old Michael Leroy Patterson was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife, whose identity has not been released, in their Utah home, KSL reported.
At the time of the shooting, two of the three children were home, reported KSL. According to the outlet, the ten-year-old daughter told police she heard her parents arguing before hearing a “boom” and then saw her father leave with “an angry face.”
The girl told police she decided to give her mother space and not check on her, KSL reported.
The mother’s body was found when the nine-year-old went looking for her to ask permission to go swimming, according to KSL.
Neighbors went into action and called police while keeping an eye on the children, Gephardt Daily reported.
When Utah police arrived, the woman was found dead in the home's bathroom. She was found between the tub and the toilet with a bullet wound to the head, according to Gephardt Daily.
As police were on the scene, Patterson called 911 allegedly admitting he shot the victim and gave them his location, Gephardt Daily reported. He allegedly gave officers his account of what happened, saying he took his handgun out of the holster and into the bathroom and the gun was “accidentally fired, hitting the victim,” the outlet reported.
Patterson also informed officers where to find the victim's cellphone, the weapon, and the weapon's magazine, according to Fox 13. Officers found them and stated that they appeared to be hidden along with a shell casing, which they had not been able to find on the scene, Fox 13 reported.
Patterson and the victim were allegedly arguing, according to Fox 13. Police say he told them that he had been on methamphetamine for a few days and she was preparing to leave when the incident occurred, as reported by Fox 13.
Patterson was arrested on one felony count of murder and is being held without bail, according to Fox 13.
