Man Who Allegedly Admitted Killing Wife After Car Crash Pleads Not Guilty

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - A man who allegedly admitted to killing his wife after being involved in a car crash has pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Investigators say Arturo Navarrete-Portillo, 46, rear-ended an empty cattle truck outside of Carbondale on Feb. 16. He was being airlifted to the hospital when he allegedly told the medical helicopter crew that he had killed his wife in an apartment building.

Police didn't find anything at the reported location of the killing but continued to search apartments in the area. They eventually discovered 30-year-old Maria Carminda Portillo-Amaya dead.

According to court documents, police accuse Navarrete-Portillo of using a machete to attack his wife. They also state that he couldn't remember what the fight with his wife was about.

A nine-day trial for the Carbondale man has been set for February 2016.