Authorities in Texas have announced the arrest of Charles Byrd, 49, who is accused of killing his wife, Angela Byrd, and then reportedly cohabiting with her decomposed remains for nearly a month. The macabre discovery and following pursuit captured the community’s attention, resulting in Byrd’s arrest on July 20.
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, the tragic story began on the night of June 19 when deputies responded to a distress call from a concerned relative.
The caller suspected Charles Byrd of murdering his wife. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the area and made a horrific discovery: Angela Byrd’s presumed decaying remains.
Sheriff Salazar described the considerable measures allegedly taken to conceal the body and its odor. Investigators discovered blankets, carpets, plastic bags, and various domestic “substances,” all of which appeared to have been used to “mask the odor” and conceal the victim’s body.
Charles Byrd was not present at the site; therefore, officials issued a public request for his whereabouts.
The search for Byrd ended on July 20, when Sheriff Salazar revealed that the sheriff’s office had successfully located and apprehended him at a house where he was allegedly hiding.
During questioning, Byrd allegedly revealed a physical struggle between him and his wife, which he believes caused her death around June 16. This chronology indicates that Byrd apparently lived with his wife’s deteriorating remains for about a month after the incident.
“He detailed to the investigator that he had never been arrested before, that he had never committed a crime before, and then blurted out the comment to our investigator, ‘You know, go big or go home,’” Salazar recalled.
While officials await autopsy results from the medical examiner to establish the cause and manner of death, as well as the victim’s positive identification, Sheriff Salazar noted that detectives are “fairly certain” Angela Byrd died because of the injuries she sustained.
As a result, Byrd has yet to be charged with murder, but he is being held in the Bexar County Jail on charges of tampering with evidence with the purpose of damaging a human corpse. The community awaits additional discoveries as the inquiry proceeds.
