Arraignment set for Washington, Iowa man charged in wife's death

An arraignment has been set for a Washington, Iowa 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 say he pinned his wife face down on a couch and strangled her for a few minutes on Jan. 11 at their home.

When officers arrived at 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. Police say he also left notes indicating two other people were responsible for his Patricia Blum's death.

Blum's arraignment is set for March 5 at 9:30 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse. He remained in the Washington County Jail Tuesday 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.