Michael A. Kless Charged in 66-Year-Old Wife's Barbell Killing After Alleged Confession
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 5
Michael A. Kless Charged in 66-Year-Old Wife's Barbell Killing After Alleged Confession
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 5
Summary
Michael A. Kless, 67, faces first-degree murder and weapons charges after prosecutors said his wife, Stacy E. Kless, 66, was found dead in their Ocean Township basement with a barbell across her neck and throat.
Court records say Kless allegedly confessed in messages to relatives and in an email describing a "long-simmering hatred" toward his wife, while also referencing a new romantic relationship with a woman from Central America.
9:32 a.m. calls to police on May 27 reported that Kless said he had killed his wife and planned to kill himself; repair workers had minutes earlier seen blood and a scratch on his face and were denied entry.
Investigators tracked Kless's vehicle north on the Garden State Parkway and later found him unconscious at a New Jersey rest area after he allegedly said he was trying to overdose on medication.
The case was classified as domestic violence, with investigators saying electronic devices and texts from the couple's two adult children contained further admissions; Kless remains hospitalized in jail custody.