Family members who arrived for a Thanksgiving gathering at the home of relatives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, discovered that a husband had dismembered and disemboweled his wife, police said, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
According to the Journal, Karlan and Connie Denio’s home in Vista Del Sol NW’s 10400 blocks was locked when their relatives arrived on Thursday afternoon.
The paper stated that relatives called 911 to request police to conduct a welfare check after they were unable to get into the house. The Journal reported that dispatch informed them that police could not force them in.
Family members removed the hinges from a door to gain entry and found Karlan Denio in bed with his wife Connie on the bedroom floor.
According to the Journal, Karlan Denio was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia two years ago by his relatives. This condition can cause personality changes and emotional withdrawal.
The paper reported that Denio (62) has been charged with the murder of Connie Denio. It is unclear if Denio has an attorney. According to Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson, Denio was being treated for cuts to his neck and arm.
According to the Journal, the family declined to comment on Friday.
According to police, relatives claimed that Connie Denio organized for everyone at her house around noon. The paper also stated that they had last spoken with her during a group chat discussing plans for Thanksgiving.
Karlan Denio’s brother came from far away and was the first one to arrive at the house. He called his sister when it wasn’t possible, according to the Journal, citing the criminal charge. According to the Journal, the siblings knocked on every door and window and then removed the hinges from a door to gain entry.
Karlan Denio’s sister said that her family was in darkness and she went to the bedroom. She found her brother “lying on his bed” and Connie Denio lying on the floor.
“Karlan glanced at her, at that point [she] backed away from the residence and called the police again,” the newspaper reported, citing the criminal case.
According to the Journal, police said that Denio’s wife was “dismembered, disemboweled” and taken into custody.
Rich Cordova, a neighbor, said Friday that he was stunned. “That’s unbelievable.”
Cordova also told the Journal that he lived near the Denio family for over 20 years and that the couple often walked together, always greeting each other. Cordova told the Journal that the couple were quiet but “nice people” and had two grown children.
