The Nassau County Police Department, Friday, announced the arrest of 27-year-old Michael Owen in connection with the death of his pregnant wife, Kelly Owen. According to NBC News, Michael was charged with second-degree murder for the crime he allegedly committed on January 15.
According to NY Daily News, the incident came to light on the evening of January 16 after Kelly’s parents discovered Kelly’s body on her bed inside her room. Kelly lived in her South Farmingdale home located around 42 miles east of Manhattan with her mother, father, brother, and a 6-year-old daughter.
The relatives told investigating officers that Kelly was last seen on the morning of January 15 after she got her daughter ready for school. They also confirmed that Michael had arrived at the premises to pick their daughter and drop her to school.
Kelly’s parents got suspicious the next day after they discovered Kelly’s car on the driveway at around 3:30 p.m. They were aware that Kelly normally goes to her daughter’s school by 3 p.m. to help with the child’s after-school programs. It was only after they checked her room that they found Kelly lying dead on her bed.
Initial investigations revealed that Kelly was dead for a while before her body was discovered. A medical examiner later confirmed that Kelly had died of strangulation. It is unclear where Kelly’s parents and brother were on the evening of January 15 and the morning of January 16.
BREAKING: Michael Owen has been charged in the strangulation death of his wife, South Farmingdale mother Kelly Owen pic.twitter.com/Nv3PeUDY7f
— Kristin Thorne (@KristinThorne) January 29, 2020
According to Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Police Department, investigators believe that Kelly’s murder was pre-meditated and that Michael visited the home on Wednesday with an intent to kill her.
“All signs and all evidence pointed to Michael,” Fitzpatrick told reporters.
Married since May 2013, Kelly and Michael had one daughter who recently turned 6. The couple officially separated in March 2018 after the marriage “started getting rocky” in terms of monetary matters. The couple also had frequent arguments.
Fitzpatrick also revealed that the police had intervened after the couple was involved in a domestic incident in December. The couple maintained a physical relationship following which Kelly got pregnant in January. Michael was also reportedly in a relationship with another woman whose identity has not been revealed.
Police believe that Michael did not want the second child because he did not want to pay for her medical insurance. This, according to them, is the key reason that led to him committing the murder.
“He did not want this child. He did not want to give her medical insurance. He had this new relationship that he was involved in, and he was in a bad position,” Fitzpatrick told reporters.
Michael Owen is due to appear in court on January 31. It remains unclear if he has an attorney.