6 Nov 2012

Samoa suicide report evolves to murder charge

1:10 pm on 6 November 2012

A man in Samoa who reported to the police his wife's death was the result of a suicide has now been charged with her murder.

The charge follows a police investigation that found evidence the deceased had died after being suffocated.

The assistant police commissioner and spokesman, Leaupepe Fatu Pula, says the evidence also shows the husband was drunk when he allegedly committed the crime after beating his wife.

It was also uncovered in the investigation that the accused had reconstructed the crime scene to look as if his wife had killed herself.

The assistant police commissioner says it appears domestic issues between the couple were the result of the incident.

The man will appear in court for mention in two weeks.