Woman stabbed 85-year-old husband to death in retirement community, police say

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - An older woman is facing a criminal charge in Colorado after her 85-year-old husband was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a senior center in November.

According to arrest documents, 72-year-old Kathy Lawton went to the Bonaventure of Pueblo front desk on Nov. 24. She was allegedly frantic and covered in blood as she told staff that her husband, Larry Lawton, was dead.

The documents state that staff found Larry Lawton with stab wounds and surrounded by bloody paper towels in the apartment he shared with his wife, Kathy Lawton.

Kathy Lawton was then taken to the Pueblo Police Department for questioning.

According to the arrest papers, an officer with the Pueblo Police Department said alcohol could be detected on Kathy Lawton’s breath and she appeared to be intoxicated.

A knife was found in the room where Larry Lawton was in, and officials said it appeared someone had tried to wipe blood from it.

After an investigation into the death, Kathy Lawton was taken into custody on second-degree murder charges.

As of Wednesday, she was still being held in the Pueblo County Jail on more than $250,000 bond.

The Pueblo County Coroner shared late last week that Larry Lawton died of injuries sustained during “an apparent domestic violence incident.”

Bonaventure of Pueblo provided a statement on Wednesday regarding the incident.

”The victim and his wife resided in independent living, a section of our community that is active adult retirement living and receives no healthcare services. The altercation occurred behind closed doors inside their apartment and there were no witnesses. The alleged assailant remains incarcerated and will not be permitted to return to the community under any circumstances,“ the statement said, in part.

The facility added that they are cooperating with police during the ongoing investigation.

Copyright 2024 KKTV via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.