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Spouse always a prime suspect?

On Behalf of | May 20, 2014 | Criminal Law

No matter who you are, or what you do in life, if your spouse has been murdered you can expect to be a suspect. 

Case in point: Michael Jace, an actor in Los Angeles, was arrested on Monday night and held on suspicion of killing his wife, who was found dead with gunshot wounds to her body. The veteran character actor was detained when police were called out to the couple’s home after gunshots were heard by neighbors.

As unfair as it seems, police target a spouse right from the start. It’s vital for the suspect to have a skillful defense lawyer at the ready. Jace has starred in a few crime dramas during his career, so it is kind of ironic that he is going through something straight out of a cop show plot. 

So what makes a husband such a prime suspect in the murder of a wife? Well, the attachment. They know each other so well that the police automatically suspect them. Sometimes it has to do with extramarital affairs, family issues or even insurance money. When a woman is accused of killing her husband, many times it has to do with emotional or physical abuse. 

While all of these claims might be true, it still doesn’t mean that the spouse committed the murder. While more info is bound to come out about this tragedy, you can bet that if he is their only suspect, he is looking at a serious charge. They could charge him with first degree murder, if it is determined that he committed a premeditated killing. 

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