A Texas man allegedly admitted to killing his wife more than a month ago, telling local reporters that he had a “mental break.”
Charles Vandoil Byrd, 49, was arrested on Sunday after the decomposing body of his wife, Angela Byrd, 44, was discovered on their farm the day before. KSAT was able to interrogate Charles Byrd as he was leaving the courthouse on Monday after his first appearance, where he was caught on tape admitting he had a “mental break” and killed his wife, adding, “I’m so sorry.” “I loved my wife.” After appearing in court, Charles Byrd’s bond was set at $200,000.
According to an arrest document acquired by local ABC station KSAT, sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home after a relative reported that Charles Byrd “may have done something” to his wife. Attempts to locate Charles Byrd over the weekend were unsuccessful—until Sunday.
Police reported that when they arrived at the Byrds’ home on Saturday, they smelled decay. Inside the house, a decaying body was wrapped in plastic, carpet, and blankets and fastened with ratchet straps. While authorities suspect the body was Angela Byrd, an autopsy will determine the victim’s identity, as well as the cause and manner of death.
Until then, Charles Byrd had been accused with tampering with evidence with the purpose to damage a human corpse. According to the affidavit, the cops discovered him outside the home with his hands raised.
During a press conference, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar stated that Charles Byrd cooperated with authorities when questioned and revealed that he and his wife had a physical altercation on June 16 that allegedly “led to her death.”
According to Sheriff Salazar, Charles Byrd lived with the body in his home for several weeks and tried to mask the odor with household goods. According to the affidavit, a relative who spoke with police stated that Charles Byrd confessed to killing his wife. The same relative told authorities that they smelled decomposition at the Byrds’ home.
According to KSAT, Charles Byrd, a janitor for a school district in San Antonio, Texas, was dismissed after being arrested. A school system spokeswoman stated that Charles Byrd did not have direct contact with the pupils while he was still employed.
Charles Byrd is being jailed in the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bail. Salazar stated that he will most certainly face “at least a murder charge” once the postmortem results are public.