Wife found dead after standoff in northern Minnesota, husband charged with murder

OTTER TAIL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is accused of killing his wife prior to a standoff with law enforcement in northern Minnesota. 

Otter Tail prosecutors charged Paul Edward Mart, 78, on Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of his wife. 

According to court records, Mart called a family member on July 17 and told them he had killed his wife the night before and was contemplating "suicide by cop." He detailed he got into an argument with his wife and "bashed her head into the floor" and then went to bed. The following morning, he allegedly found her dead.

Law enforcement responded to Mart's home around 10:35 a.m., in the Big Pine Lake area, east of Perham, and was informed Mart had three firearms in the house. He also sounded intoxicated and threatened if "any officers show up, he will shoot at them, and they will have to kill him," court records read. 

Authorities evacuated the surrounding area as a precaution. Mart surrendered around 3 p.m. and was taken into custody. Charges explained law enforcement searched the house and found a handgun with what appeared to be blood inside the trash bin in the bedroom. 

The Midwest Medical Examiner determined the woman’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and a gunshot wound to the head. 

Mart made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and the judge set his bail at $1.5 million without conditions. 

If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, you can call the DayOne hotline at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.