A Florida woman is in custody after telling her adult son that his father was dead after she struck her husband him with a billy club, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
Why It Matters
Bonnie Tietgens, 60, is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence after 64-year-old William Tietgens was found dead in a Fort Pierce home on October 8.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said he believes the couple had been married for 40 years, WPTV reported, adding that William Tietgens was arrested by the Port St. Lucie Police Department several years ago on domestic violence charges.
What To Know
Deputies from the Patrol Operations Bureau responded to a residence in the 5200 block of Birch Drive in Fort Pierce around 10:26 p.m. after receiving a report of a possible fatality. Authorities found a man, later identified as William Tietgens, inside the home.
Police initiated lifesaving measures until St. Lucie County Fire Rescue personnel arrived, but the husband was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office said Bonnie Tietgens was “immediately detained.”
Detectives learned that Bonnie Tietgens tried to call her adult son on the phone earlier that night, according to the sheriff’s office. Her son returned the call at 9 p.m., when his mother told him that “Dad was dead” after she hit him with a billy club, police said.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reach their father, the son called his sister and the two went to the home where they found him on the ground with severe trauma to the head and called 911, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said they found Bonnie Tietgens in the garage, standing near a washing machine with a blood-soaked blanket on the ground beside her. The sheriff’s office said the washer “was found loaded with blood-soaked clothing and towels.”
“As she was being taken into custody, Tietgens was in the process of pressing the start cycle on the machine, apparently attempting to destroy potential evidence,” the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.
What People Are Saying
Del Toro, in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victim during this tragic time. We are committed to ensuring justice is served and will continue to support the victim’s loved ones through this investigation.”
Neighbor Sue Rozman, in comments to WPTV: “They definitely had their history, you know, drinking and fighting. It’s just it was kind of just a common occurrence for years.”
What Happens Next
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing. Bonnie Tietgens is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail.
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