Background: A residence on Union Street in Leominster, Massachusetts, where the victim was found (WBTS/YouTube). Inset: James Marsh (WBTS/YouTube).
A Massachusetts man is accused of shooting and killing his wife during a fight and then sitting on the couch with her body as police responded to their home.
James Marsh, 64, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, per local news outlets such as NBC's Boston affiliate WBTS. The chilling incident took place on Friday, the day after Christmas.
At about 2:55 p.m. that day, Leominster police officers arrived at a home on Union Street in the city after receiving a 911 call, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. An unidentified person called police and gave the address of the house before quickly hanging up the phone, according to Boston.com.
A police supervisor authorized two officers to enter the home through an unlocked side door, and one of them "heard what she believed was a moaning sound in the residence and believed that someone was in medical distress," court documents stated.
As the officer continued inside, she saw a man sitting on a couch and holding a gun in her direction, Boston.com reported. There was another person on the couch who was motionless and covered with a blanket. Investigators later determined that the person was 62-year-old Ann Marsh.
"Gun!" the officer reportedly yelled as she saw the suspect's gun. She retreated, and James Marsh barricaded himself in the home, police said. After more than four hours of trying to get him out, he surrendered and was arrested.
Investigators entered the home and pronounced Ann Marsh dead. The defendant was in court on Monday, where prosecutors maintained that "during an altercation with his wife at home, he shot and killed his wife," regional CBS affiliate WBZ reported.
Authorities described the death as domestic in nature and said on Sunday that it was still under investigation. Marsh is due back in court on Friday, where the charges against him could be upgraded.
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