Charles Wilkinson: Retired New York Cop Allegedly Strangulated Wife, Hid Body Under Bed For Days

A retired police officer has been arrested after he was found living with the dead body of his wife under the bed of a room in his Malta home, reports Detroit News. 69-year-old Charles Wilkinson allegedly killed his wife at his upstate New York home sometime last week. He did not bother to alert authorities about her death, and instead, decided to live with the body for several days until he was arrested.

Charles Wilkinson was arrested after officials from the local sheriff’s office decided to look into the welfare of Charles’s 65-year-old wife, Kathleen Wilkinson. The deputy found Kathleen’s body on the bedroom floor at Charles’s and Kathleen’s home in Malta, 20 miles north of Albany, reports Yahoo.

According to Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy III, investigations have revealed that Kathleen was killed by Charles during a domestic dispute last week. Police intervened after several of Kathleen’s friends called them and reported they hadn’t heard from her in days. When they went to inquire, Charles refused to let them in his home, raising even more suspicion. Finally, a Sheriff’s deputy was asked to go in and check on Kathleen. Charles Wilkinson had to let the deputy in, and the body was discovered.

Details of the circumstances of the murder has not been revealed. All we know now is that Kathleen’s murder was the result of a form of domestic violence. While the details of Kathleen’s death will only be confirmed after an autopsy is completed, it is thought that she was strangulated by Charles. Police have charged Charles Wilkinson with second degree murder, and he is currently being held without bail in the county jail. At this time, it isn’t known if Charles Wilkinson has a lawyer.

What makes Charles Wilkinson’s alleged crime even more gruesome is the fact that he happens to be a retired police officer. Wilkinson worked in the Nassau County Police Department for over 13 years. Kathleen and Charles have been living in their Malta neighborhood for close to a decade, and they have two adult children who live in Boston.

Residents of the suburban neighborhood are shocked about the events that unfolded in their usually calm and quiet neighborhood. Charles Wilkinson and his wife were well known in the area and people generally had high regard for them. The residents were also unaware of any disputes between the two.

[Image via Saratoga Sherrif’s Office Website]