Woman, 76, killed husband, left him on floor for weeks, Fresno police say

A 76-year-old Fresno woman was arrested on May 17 west of Highway 99 on suspicion of killing her husband several weeks earlier and leaving the body on the floor of their home, Fresno police said.

Around 6:20 p.m. May 12, dispatcher received a call about Gloria Villa being at her neighbor’s home near Shields and Blythe avenues looking for her husband, Bernie, Fresno police said. The neighbor told police that Villa was behaving erratically and might have dementia.

Fresno police found Villa outside her home in the 4200 block of Shields Avenue and went inside with her, the police department said. They found a man, later identified as Villa’s husband, lying dead on the living room floor covered in multiple sheets of newspaper.

Bernie Villa, 78, appeared to have died several weeks earlier. Gloria Villa was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for evaluation, Fresno police said. A search warrant for the home was granted by the Fresno County Superior Court.

Physical evidence and statements provided at the scene led officers to believe that Bernie Villa was murdered, Fresno police said.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Woman, 76, killed husband, left him on floor for weeks, Fresno police say."