MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 36-year-old Apple Valley man has been indicted for allegedly killing his pregnant wife.
The Dakota County Grand Jury returned the indictments late Monday afternoon, charging Roger Holland with first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree intentional murder, first-degree premeditated murder of an unborn child and second-degree murder of an unborn child.
Holland told police he believed his wife Marjorie, fell down the stairs on March 7, 2013, but Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom says the evidence proves otherwise.
“She had multiple injuries on her body, which were inconsistent with a fall down a flight of stairs: bruises on her arms, legs, hands, face and again, both hyoid bones in her throat were broken on both sides, which is consistent with strangulation,” Backstrom said.
WCCO’s Susie Jones Interviews Backstrom
Backstrom said a 911 call was made on the day of the incident by Holland. He said his wife was lying at the bottom on the stairs, and not breathing.
Holland told police he had gone out to get breakfast and when he returned, he found her face down wrapped in a blanket.
Holland told police that his relationship with his wife was good, but officers say they found a large number of text messages, which contained numerous arguments between the couple over financial problems.
Backstrom says if convicted, Holland faces life in prison with no possibility of parole.
