Wisconsin Man Told Police He Stabbed Wife Multiple Times To End Years Of Chronic Pain

A Wisconsin man allegedly told police that he fatally stabbed his wife to end her years of suffering from chronic pain, according to multiple reports.

Braden Ward, 49, is charged with intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon for the death of his wife, Jamie Ward, 50. He’s being held at the Milwaukee County Jail on a $1 million cash bail.

Greenfield Police went to the couple’s home on May 18 after a relative requested a welfare check on Jamie Le Ward. She said Braden Ward “had called her and stated that he had cut his wife’s throat approximately 10 days ago,” according to a criminal complaint reviewed by local news station FOX6 Milwaukee.

Her body was still at the couple’s home on Maple Leaf Circle.

Police went to the home, but no one responded when they knocked on the doors, the television station reported.  Authorities were unable to reach anyone on the couple’s landline.

Authorities called Braeden Ward on his cell phone. He “stated that he was not home and was driving around but was willing to talk with officers over the phone,” according to the criminal complaint.

Police told Ward that family members were concerned about the couple, but he refused to meet with them in person.

He told police that “he had helped the victim end her life. … She had suffered from chronic pain for twenty years and he could not help her,” according to the complaint.

He allegedly said after his wife stepped inside the shower, he “stabbed her in the neck and she died approximately four minutes later.”

About an hour later, he allegedly stabbed her in the abdomen and legs, believing he had to drain the blood from her body, the Milwaukee Journal reported citing police and the criminal complaint.

Ward told police that his wife started discussing ending her life about a year ago, and asked him to help, the newspaper reported.

On May 3, she allegedly again asked Ward to end her life and he agreed, the Journal reported citing police and the criminal complaint.

Ward allegedly told police that this took place on May 4.

“The criminal complaint before the court is frankly one of the most gruesome and disturbing criminal complaints, I’ve ever seen in a homicide case,” Milwaukee County Court commissioner said, according to FOX6.

Ward told police that he was armed with a handgun, but he was taken into custody without incident.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death was multiple stab wounds.

According to court records reviewed by FOX6 Milwaukee, Ward told police he used fans and washed his wife’s decomposing body after it started to smell.

Oxygen.com has not heard back from Ward’s attorney.

He has a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday, May 31.