The suspect in a domestic violence homicide investigation in Westlake is being held on a $5 million bond in Cuyahoga County.
William Feather, 65, was initially set to be in court on Monday, but police said he was in the hospital with a medical issue. He has since been released and was taken to court Wednesday, where he waived his preliminary hearing on murder and felonious assault charges before being taken to jail.
The charges came after Westlake Police found his wife, 57-year-old Michele Feather, with a head injury in their home on Canterbury Road on July 17. Police said she died that day.
RELATED: 57-year-old woman dead; husband arrested in domestic violence homicide case in Westlake
"He was assisting somewhat in the investigation; we don’t think he was telling us the whole story on what happened," Police Capt. Jerry Vogel said on July 18.
Police records show inconsistencies in the husband’s story and how officers found blood all over the house.
William Feather is heard on the 911 call saying he needs some help and he is very concerned about his wife.
He told the dispatcher, "Something’s really bad happening here."
On the 911 call, Feather described how his wife was making gurgling sounds on the couch.
A police report shows Michele Feather had bruising on her abdomen and that officers found blood throughout the house, including the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom around the toilet and inside the tub with chunks of hair.
Paper towels covered in blood were found in a trash bin outside.
In the report, William Feather told one officer his wife fell off the couch. He then described how she started shaking like she was having a seizure and later said an argument got out of hand.
When asked about the blood, William Feather claimed it was from dropping plywood on his leg at work, and a scratch on his face was from shaving the day before.
According to the report, police indicated Feather was unable to provide a clear account of what happened from when he got up that morning to when he called 911.
The report shows one firefighter asked William Feather if his wife had fallen recently; William, unprompted, responded to the question, "No, no domestic violence."
The community in Westlake has been mourning the death of Feather for days.
"This whole thing is a tragic, tragic thing, and it shouldn’t be. I mean, yes, it’s about domestic violence, but it was Michele, so it should be about Michele,” close friend Karen Bettis said on Monday.
Westlake police say the case was bound over to the Cuyahoga County grand jury.
RELATED: 'She was a good lady': Friends mourn Westlake woman killed
