An 85-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder after an 83-year-old woman was killed in an intimate partner homicide in Bridgewater on Sunday.
The two were in a long-term relationship.
Bridgewater Police Service responded to a 911 call just after 11:30 a.m. from a home on Haven Drive.
Officers arrived to find the woman inside with injuries from an apparent assault with a weapon.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man was found in another room with what police call “related injuries”.
He was arrested and taken to hospital to appear remotely before Bridgewater Provincial Court, Monday and is scheduled to reappear in court, April 2.
Deputy Police Chief Danny MacPhee confirmed there were no prior reports of intimate partner violence between the two and that neither had a history of violent incidents with police.
“Many of these cases don’t have a documented history with police, healthcare, or victim services—so while there is often a history, it’s just not on the radar of those who could help,” MacPhee said.
Investigators have not found evidence of dementia or any medical condition playing a role, but MacPhee said police are considering all possibilities.
Forensic officers Bridgewater and Truro Police Services processed the scene, and police searched the home.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service is conducting an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
MacPhee said this is the first intimate partner homicide in Bridgewater in recent memory. However, it comes amid a rise in such cases across Nova Scotia, with eight people killed since October.
On Jan. 11, a woman in Centreville, Kings County, was found dead in a home that was on fire.
On Jan. 5, a woman was found dead in her home in Mahone Bay.
On New Year’s Eve, a woman and her father were killed in Halifax.
Between Oct. 18 and Nov. 4, women in Enfield, Cole Harbour and Yarmouth were killed by current or former partners.
“There are so many factors in these cases, but people need to feel safe speaking up,” MacPhee said. “If friends, family, or coworkers notice concerning behavior, they need to step forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Bridgewater Police Service at 902-543-2464.
-With files from Caitlin Snow
