A father has been accused of strangling his estranged pregnant wife because he ‘did not want’ a child, detectives say.
Kelly Owen’s body was discovered in bed by parents at their family home on January 16 in Long Island, New York.
Her husband, Michael Owen, 27, was arrested and charged with murdering Kelly Owen.
A medical examiner determined she was strangled to death.
According to NBC, Nassau County Lieutenant Stephen Fitzpatrick said investigators believe Michael Owen killed his estranged wife because she was pregnant.
He told the publication, ‘He did not want this child. He did not want to give her medical insurance. He had this new relationship he was involved in and he was in a bad position.’
Fitzpatrick added, ‘All signs and evidence pointed to Michael,’ explaining how the couples’ marriage ‘started getting rocky in regards to monetary and other matters.’
Police say Michael and Kelly Owen married in 2013, having a daughter shortly after.
It’s reported they split in March 2018 and were involved in an alleged domestic abuse incident later in year, which police had to intervene in.
CBS reported that they continued a ‘physical and intimate’ relationship, but Michael Owen started a relationship with another woman.
Investigators believe Michael Owen killed his wife when discovering she was pregnant with their second child. There no signs of a break-in at Kelly Owen’s family home, leading detectives to believe she was murdered by someone she knew.
Witness statements also suggested this.
Fitzpatrick said, ‘Everyone is that neighbourhood came forward, whether they had video or they saw something. A lot of information was significant for our case.’
On Wednesday, Michael Owen pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges and was held without bail.
He is due to appear in court today (31 January).
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