PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An 84-year-old Montgomery County, Pennsylvania man is behind bars, after police say he beat his wife to death over a cat's vet bill.
Barton Seltmann has been charged with first and third-degree murder. Authorities say he and his 85-year-old wife Margaret were arguing Tuesday afternoon over the cost of veterinary care for their cat.
According to investigators, the fight in the kitchen of the Seltmanns' Lower Pottsgrove home turned physical, with evidence showing Margaret was struck several times in the head.
Police say Seltmann called them around 2:30 p.m. to report an unresponsive female at their house on North Keim Road. Officers found his wife dead on the floor and they found him on the back porch with blood on his hands, face and clothing.
Seltmann was treated at a hospital for a hand injury and charged with first and third-degree murder and is being held without bail with a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Tuesday, Dec. 5.