Man admits to killing wife, keeping corpse in their home for a week, police say

WESTMORELAND CO., Pa. — A 73-year-old man is behind bars after state police said he spent a week inside his home with the corpse of his wife -- who he allegedly admitted to shooting twice in the back.

State troopers discovered the body of Sandra Montjar, 76, on Oct. 20 after a relative requested a welfare check at the couple’s home along Route 711 in Cook Township, according to Channel 11 News' exchange partners at TribLIVE.

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Court documents show Shane Del Montjar, 73, “admitted to killing his wife on Oct. 13” when a trooper came to his door Tuesday. Montjar led another trooper to a different room where he pointed to her body “wrapped in a blanket, a plastic bag and carpet,” TribLIVE reported.

Investigators said he told them his wife had a medical condition for a while and shot her to “alleviate her pain."

Montjar was arraigned on charges of abuse of a corpse, criminal homicide, first degree murder and tampering with evidence. He is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison.

Montjar told investigators that he didn’t disclose his wife’s death to anyone and stayed with her “the last week to get his affairs in order,” Limani told TribLIVE. He also said he intended to set their home on fire with both he and his wife inside.

A preliminary hearing for Montjar is scheduled for Oct. 30.

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