A husband accused of strangling his wife to death at their family home may have researched criminal defense strategies before her death.
Curtis Ray Nichols, 35, is accused of murdering wife Robin, also 35, at their Utah home back in August while their children, aged two, five and seven were inside.
He claims he is innocent, saying that on the night of August 24 he left to get McDonald’s and returned to find Robin’s body.
Now investigators believe they have uncovered evidence that he was researching ways to escape a murder conviction shortly before Robin died.
Curtis Ray Nichols, 35, is accused of strangling wife Robin to death at their family home in Utah while their children aged two, five and seven were inside
Nichols (pictured in court last week) denies being responsible for the killing, saying he came home to find his wife’s cold, lifeless body
Four days after her body was discovered police say a librarian rang them after recognizing Nichols’ face from news stories.
The woman said Nichols had been in her library with Robin and was using the public computers ‘for some time’, according to a warrant seen by Desert News.
When officers went to interview her, she gave them copies of papers that Nichols had printed ‘concerning case law and extreme emotional distress defenses.’
She said he had also been copying newspaper articles, but ‘was being very secretive’ about what he was doing.
Robin was found with broken bones in her neck consistent with strangulation, cops say
‘I believe there is information that Curtis may be researching a defense strategy or other ways to hinder, delay, or prevent the prosecution for crimes he has been charged with,’ the investigating officer concluded.
The news emerged as Nichols was allowed to remain on bail after relatives paid a $100,000 bond in cash.
Lawyers had attempted to get him sent back to jail, arguing he was a danger to himself and his children, KUTV 2 reports.
The judge deferred his ruling until a later date, so in the meantime Nichols will remain a free man.
The station also reported that on the night of the killing, Nichols was found to have marks on his arms and forehead that looked like scratch marks.
When asked, he said they had come from when he was working in the kitchen.
A DNA sample taken from under Robin’s fingernails was a match for Nichols.
Forensic investigation also showed bones in Robin’s neck were broken, consistent with strangulation, and that there was no sign of a break-in at the home.
Nichols is due back in court on September 25.
Police now believe Nichols researched ways ‘to hinder, delay, or prevent’ being found guilty of murder (pictured, the home where Robin’s body was found)