CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) - A Centerville woman has been charged with murder and arson after authorities found her husband’s body in their burned home nearly two weeks ago.
Centerville police say they arrested 45-year-old Barbara Pasa on Friday.
Police Chief Tom Demry says in court documents that Pasa claims she left her husband, 50-year-old Tim Pasa, lying in bed on May 5 with a lit candle in the room.
Firefighters responded to a fire there and found Tim Pasa’s badly burned body. Fire investigators determined the fire was started intentionally on the bed near his body. An autopsy revealed no smoke inhalation. Toxicology tests are pending.
Demry says investigators determined that Barbara Pasa recently bought a $200,000 life insurance policy on her husband and he had recently told family members he believed his wife was poisoning him.
It was not immediately clear whether she yet had an attorney from whom to seek comment.
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