Wife Found Bound With Duct Tape, Husband Planned Murder-Suicide

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Golden arrested a man after he turned himself in after his wife was found dead. Her body was found bound with duct tape.

Officers responded a home in the 400 block of Zeta Street on a welfare check on Monday.

Relatives had called police to ask they check on David Reathman because he was terminally ill.

Instead they found the body of his wife, Barbara. Police said she was found with her wrists and ankles bound in duct tape in only her underwear. Police said there were signs of strangulation.

Reathman, 65, walked into the Golden Police Department about 6 p.m. Thursday and turned himself in.

Reathman is being held without bond on suspicion of first degree murder in the Jefferson County Jail but will be transferred to Arapahoe County's facility.

According to the arrest affidavit Reathman had financial problems and a gambling addiction for some time.

He found out he had Stage 5 cancer in Dec. 2012 but only told his daughter of his terminal diagnosis. His daughter encouraged him to tell his wife on Sunday.

Police said that's when he began thinking about murder-suicide. Reathman had intended to go the mountains to die after strangling his wife but instead decided to turn himself in to authorities.