Arraignment set for murder suspect

WASHINGTON - An arraignment has been set for a Washington man accused of killing his wife after she backed a car into their garage.

James Blum, 70, faces a second-degree murder charge after investigators said Blum pinned his wife face down on a couch and strangled her for a few minutes on Jan. 11 at their home.

When officers arrived to the home, 1009 E. Washington, police found Patricia Blum, 67, slumped over on a coffee table. She was pronounced dead at the Washington County Hospital.

According to Washington County Court documents, Blum called police saying he thought he killed his wife by smothering her, but later told police conflicting stories - like leaving notes indicating two individuals caused her death.

Blum's arraignment is set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse. He remains in the Washington County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Blum moved to Washington after resigning from the Wellman City Council in 2004. He was elected for two terms that were not consecutive, but resigned before his second term ended.