Christine Dempsey and Kelly Glista – Hartford Courant
A man who was charged with manslaughter after his wife was found dead on Magnolia Drive Thursday night was arraigned in Superior Court on Tuesday.
Bail for John Dewees Jr., 49, was set at $175,000, a reduction from the $250,000 bond that police had set.
A judge set Dewees’ next court appearance for June 10 and ordered that Dewees be placed on a suicide watch. The case will be screened for possible transfer to Part A in Hartford, where more serious cases are handled.
Police arrested Dewees Friday and charged him with first degree manslaughter in the killing of his wife, 45-year-old Anja Dewees.
Police were called to their home on 4 Magnolia Drive Thursday night after a neighbor reported Dewees was acting strangely. When police arrived, he refused to leave the home but soon came outside and spoke with police. Officer went inside and found his wife’s body.
State police major crime squad responded and worked with Enfield police to gather evidence. Officers were at the home for more than 12 hours from Thursday night into Friday afternoon – blocking off the street and stunning neighbors as they watched from afar and learned about what happened.
Neighbors said they didn’t know the couple very well, but police said there was no history of domestic disturbances. They also don’t believe the wife was suffering from an illness, but they will still pore over medical records with doctors.
Dewees will be arraigned at 10 a.m. this morning in Enfield Superior Court.