A retired schoolteacher has been arrested for aggravated assault, in what his wife claims is his third attempt to be rid of her, as reported by The Kansas City Star and other news media.
C.R.B., 68, was charged on April 15. It was a little over a week since both he, and his wife, L.Z.C.B., 52, fell during a hike in Camden Hills State Park.
In a police report it appears that the couple was facing marital problems and, his wife believes, C.R.B. may have also been motivated by monetary gain. When L.Z.C.B.’s father passed away she inherited $4 million.
The two have been married 7 years.
On April 7, the day of the hike, L.Z.C.B. has claimed that her husband struck her with a rock several times and then tried to shove her off of a cliff. As she didn’t fall far enough to satisfy him that the job was done, she contended, he then tried to chase her down until he eventually fell himself.
C.R.B. was reportedly injured in the fall.
Per investigators, L.Z.C.B. told them that she was upset that C.R.B was allegedly carrying on an online relationship with a former girlfriend. She also attested that he had been taking money – without gaining her permission first – from her inheritance.
L.Z.C.B. alleged that C.R.B. had tried to kill her twice before. He struck her in the back of the head while the two walked near a cliff in the first scenario.
When she fell he told her that he hadn’t struck her, that he had only passed out and it was his head that struck hers.
The second time she was at the foot of a ladder that her husband had climbed. He fell on top of her and told her, and police, that he had again simply passed out.
In his own account, of the latest incident, C.R.B. told police that the two had hiked and collected rocks. The police report read, “The next thing he recalled was falling down a hill.
He could not remember hitting (L.Z.C.B. ) or throwing her off the side of the mountain.”
C.R.B. claims to be able to recall falling on his wife once, and bumping her head another time, in the other two incidents.
C.R.B. said that due to L.Z.C.B. being upset about his online relationship with an old friend, the two started marriage therapy. Police reported, “Charles feels that everything seems to be going well in their marriage at this time.”
E.B., C.R.B.’s son, was in Rockland District Court during his father’s appearance. E.B. volunteered, “He’s never had a violent history, as far as I know.
I suppose anyone could snap, but — no. There are multiple possibilities of what happened.”
Walter McKee, C.R.B.’s attorney said, “All the information about what happened is coming from the alleged victim.”
Judge Patricia Worth has ordered that C.R.B. remain in Maine if he posts bail – which is set at $250,000.
If C.R.B. is found guilty of aggravated assault his prison sentence can be up to 10 years in length.
Being the victim of domestic violence is fraught with all types of dangers, and the decision to litigate helps to remove them. Contact a family law attorney today to help you today!