CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Bail has been set at $100,000 for a central Wyoming man charged with killing his wife last month.
Rodney Smith, 51, made an initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court Monday on a charge of manslaughter and being a habitual criminal. He did not enter a plea and no attorney was present to represent him, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.
Anne Mae Smith, 42, was found dead at her residence on Nov. 30. An autopsy found she died from bleeding in her brain.
Rodney Smith told investigators that she had tried to leave the house on Nov. 29 and he hit her in the head, causing her to fall and again hit her head, court records said. He said he realized she was dead the next morning and called 911.
Smith also acknowledged a history of violence against his wife and investigators found indications that Anne Smith reported multiple times that her husband had hurt her. The records did not indicate if those reports were prosecuted.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.