An 81-year-old Temperance man is in custody on charges that he beat his wife to death.
The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office authorized an open murder warrant against Edward Lee Hite, 81, of Temperance. The warrant also includes a charge of assault and battery.
The victim in the case is Barbara Ann Hite, 78, of Temperance.
The open murder charge allows a jury to determine the degree of murder, should the case go to trial.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded Sept. 8 to a home in the 2200 block of Fountain Circle in Bedford Township on a report of a death investigation. When deputies arrived, they learned an assault was possibly still in progress inside the residence. A deputy went inside, witnessed Edward Hite assaulting his wife and detained him, the sheriff's office reported.
Medical personnel responded to the scene and provided medical care to Barbara Hite, who was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital, where she later died.