Enfield Man Accused in Wife's Death Due in Court Next Month

He told police he was tired of changing his wife's diapers.

An Enfield man accused of killing his wife because he was tired of changing her diapers every day did not enter a plea when he appeared in court Tuesday.

The case against John Dewees Jr., 49, who is charged with first-degree manslaughter, was continued to July.

Police said they found Anja Dewees, 46, dead at the couple's home on 4 Magnolia Drive last month.

The body was wrapped with duct tape in a deflated waterbed mattress. It had been in house for two days, according to the arrest warrant application.

Police began investigating the death after a neighbor had called authorities about a possible death and said John Dewees Jr. "was acting a little weird," according to police.

Crisis intervention officers responded and police set up a perimeter around the house. John Dewees Jr. came outside to speak with officers, police said.

After getting a search and seizure warrant for the house, Enfield officers and members of the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Unit went inside and found Anja's body in a bedroom.

During an interview with police, Dewees Jr. said his wife had been ill for about four years and he had been taking car of her, feeding her and bathing her, according to the arrest warrant application.

He told investigators that he and his wife had been drinking on Tuesday night and his wife hit her head when she "came out of his hands" as he was putting her into the tub, according to the arrest warrant application.

After the bath, Dewees Jr. said he put his wife to bed and went to sleep next to her. When he woke up on Wednesday, he knew his wife was dead, but did not want to call anyone because he wanted to stay with her for a couple of days, he said, according to the police report.

Police continued to probe and asked Dewees Jr. why he didn't call an ambulance.

"She was dead. I didn't think there was anything I can do," he said, according to police.

But police noticed inconsistencies in the story and explained that to Dewees Jr..

Then, Dewees Jr. admitted to pushing his wife into the tub and hitting the side of her head because he was tired of changing her diapers every day, according to the arrest warrant application.  

He said he was upset because his wife had soiled herself and ruined their good time as they were listening to music and drinking on Tuesday night and punched her, according to the arrest warrant application. 

The medical examiner performed an autopsy and determined that Anja Dewees died of blunt force injury to the head with a skull fracture, but that comes paired with broken ribs, bruises and possible strangulation.

He is due back in court on July 9.

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