Spencer Moen.Photo:Cass County Jail
Cass County Jail
A North Dakota man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with his wife’s death after allegedly telling police the couple got into an argument and she “face planted” on the stairs.
It’s not immediately clear if he has entered a plea to those charges.
North Dakota District Court records show the 31-year-old was arraigned Monday and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing in late September.
Moen was arrested last Thursday after officers responded to a medical emergency at the family’s home, the West Fargo Police Department said in astatement.
Moen had called police early in the morning, allegedly telling responding officers that his wife Sonja Moen had decided to sleep in the bathtub and never woke up, police said, according to the localGrand Forks Heraldnewspaper.
Sonja Moen.Gofundme
Gofundme
Sonja was declared dead at the scene, according to the newspaper. Moen then allegedly gave an interview to police where he said he and his wife were both intoxicated and got into an argument the previous night after she had picked him up after dark at a local golf course, authorities say.TheHeraldreported that police claimed Moen had apparent bruising on his right hand, while his wife had significant bruising on the left side of her face and forehead, as well as having both eyes swollen shut. The newspaper reports Sonja also allegedly had bruising on the back of her hands, which police said typically indicates defensive wounds.
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Brady Zins, a former neighbor who lived next to the Moen family for a year, told Valley News Live he was “kind of shocked but not surprised” to hear about the murder because of Spencer’s previous behavior.
“The kids were always out always playing, and you know the wife was always super nice, waved to her all the time when I’d come home but my interactions with him were never great, I don’t think I had one normal civil conversation,” Zins told the outlet.
“It’s sad because the interactions I always had with them, they seemed like they were always playing, having a good time,” the former neighbor added. “It’s just extremely sad.”
North Dakota District Court records show Moen was arrested in 2019 on a felony assault charge. Moen had pleaded not guilty and that case was dismissed.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
