Salem Man Admits To Killing Estranged Wife
SALEM (CBS) -- Police say a man walked into the Salem Police Department early Tuesday morning and told officers he killed his estranged wife.
Douglas Steeves, 50, was charged with murder after police found his 48-year-old wife, Carmela Saunders, strangled to death in a home on Chandler Street in Salem.
According to court documents, Steeves was at dinner with his wife at the home when the two got in a fight after an unknown man called the house.
Steeves told police she grabbed his mouth and he lashed out, strangling her until she was motionless.
She was rushed to Salem Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said Steeves turned himself in around 3:40 a.m., saying he had killed his wife. The Essex DA's office said he is believed to be homeless.
According to court documents, Steeves' estranged wife filed a restraining order against him in May, saying in the filing that he was "in a motorcycle club and I fear for my life" and "he has tried to kill me before."
"I won't go anywhere by myself because I know he's following me," she wrote in that filing.
Neighbors told WBZ-TV's Anna Meiler that the murder left them feeling uneasy.
"I'm kind of in shock that something like that did happen, because there was no indication that anything was wrong," said one neighbor.
Steeves is being held without bail.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence there is help available: Visit www.janedoe.org or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233).
