BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The husband of a woman killed Sunday in Northwest Bakersfield has been arrested on a murder charge.
John Leroy Gardner, 64, was booked Wednesday evening on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office website.
Gardner is married to 58-year-old Jane Gardner, who was found dead Dec. 6.
Their daughter confirmed the relationship, saying the family is devastated and heartbroken.
“My mother was loved by so many, and her humor and zest for life will live on in every life she touched,” Halley Gardner wrote in a message on Facebook. “She brightened the world.”
She did not comment on the status of the investigation.
The Bakersfield Police Department accused John Gardner in Jane Gardner’s death this morning.
On Sunday, officers were called to help the fire department at a home on Vaquero Avenue, near Discovery Elementary School. When no one answered the door, officers had to force their way inside, finding Jane Gardner’s body.
According to Bakersfield police, a man was found wounded at the home. Officers detained him and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.
He is due in court Friday.
