PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: A Pennsylvania man in his early 80s was arrested after he reportedly beat his wife to death in their home, the Montgomery District Attorney’s Office reported. In a press release, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said that Barton Seltmann, 84, was arrested on murder charges after his wife, Margaret Seltmann, 85, was found dead in their home in Lower Pottsgrove Township.
Officials said in the press release that on Tuesday, November 28, at about 2.30 pm, officers received a call from Barton about “an unresponsive female.” According to NBC10 Philadelphia, an affidavit of probable cause claimed that the suspect told 911 operators that someone had beaten his wife and she was bleeding from the head and that their kitchen had been ransacked.
What did the authorities find upon arrival?
When police arrived at the home, they said they found Barton on the rear porch with “blood on his hands, face and clothing.” He was immediately transported to the hospital for a hand injury, according to the press release.
At the scene, authorities came across several pieces of evidence that indicated Margaret had been “struck multiple times in the head while lying on the kitchen floor,” and the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office also determined that her cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head and her manner of death was homicide.
District attorney said Barton Seltmann argued with his wife before her death
“A joint homicide investigation by Lower Pottsgrove Police and Montgomery County Detectives found that Margaret and Barton Seltmann were arguing about money for veterinary care of their cat when the fight turned physical,” the District Attorney’s statement said.
What did Barton Seltmann tell the investigators?
During the argument, Barton told investigators that his wife grabbed a knife and threatened to kill him, which prompted him to use a chair to push her down to the floor and repeatedly punched and hit her with a candleholder, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by NBC10 Philadelphia and local ABC station WPVI-TV.
He told investigators that his wife told him, “you’re killing me,” before she “went to sleep,” according to NBC10 Philadelphia, citing the affidavit. Police also noted in the affidavit, per WPVI-TV, that they found a knife under Margaret’s body and broken pieces of the candleholder at the scene.
What charges does Barton Seltmann face?
Barton was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and third-degree murder and is being held at Montgomery County Correctional Facility without bail. A preliminary hearing for the incident is scheduled for December 5.
Barton Seltmann was suffering from dementia
Barton’s family told WPVI-TV that the couple had been married for over 30 years and that they had seemed happy. However, they also noted that Barton had been experiencing memory issues recently.
"In the last five or six weeks, Margaret said [Barton] was suffering from dementia, he wasn't remembering things," Barton’s sister-in-law Sandy Seltmann told the outlet, adding "Like if he went somewhere, he wasn't remembering where he was at and things and she was concerned about it."
"There was no warning that this kind of thing could happen. None," his brother Ron Seltmann said, adding "This just tore us apart.”
