Man said he found his wife injured, CO cops say. Now he’s accused of strangling her

A man was arrested and is facing a murder charge after his wife was found dead, Colorado officials said.

On Aug. 19, Brian Mervin, 50, flagged down someone and asked them to call Denver police after he said he found her on the ground “struggling to breathe,” according to a Facebook post by the department.

The woman was found by officers in the home’s bedroom with “significant bruising and abrasions on her neck,” according to a probable cause statement.

The injuries “were consistent with strangulation,” police said.

Officers said she looked as if she’d been “dragged through heavy brush” with her clothes “covered in dirt and debris,” according to the affidavit.

While paramedics were working on Mervin’s wife in an ambulance in front of the house, he was in the home smoking a cigarette and drinking soda, police said.

The woman was taken to the Rose Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Officers said Mervin didn’t ask about his wife’s condition or have any concerns about her treatment.

Later, detectives determined Mervin had inconsistencies in his statements, police said.

A witness told police they had seen Mervin be aggressive toward his wife by “yelling and grabbing her” and that it worsened when he drank alcohol, the statement said.

Mervin was arrested and is being held at the Downtown Detention Center as he faces a charge of first-degree murder, according to the inmate roster.

The medical examiner will release the woman’s name and determine her cause of death, police said.

This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 8:36 AM with the headline "Man said he found his wife injured, CO cops say. Now he’s accused of strangling her."