Webster, MA: Husband charged with murder

'A TRAGIC CASE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE' IN WEBSTER

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WEBSTER — About a half hour before he allegedly assaulted and murdered his wife, police had to get between William E. Freudenthal and two IRS agents who went to his home at 59 Brookside Ave. to repossess his car for nonpayment of taxes.

Mr. Freudenthal, 50, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and domestic assault and battery. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Dudley District Court tomorrow, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said tonight.

Mr. Early said that shortly after 1 p.m. today, police received two 911 “hang-up” calls from a fax machine inside the Freudenthal home, and officers immediately went back to the house. Police had been to the address for domestic violence problems in the past, Webster Police Chief Timothy Bent said.

“On arrival, police found Jennifer Freudenthal, 50 years old ... on the floor with obvious injuries to her face and neck,” Mr. Early said during a news conference at the Webster Police station tonight. Mrs. Freudenthal was taken by ambulance to Harrington Healthcare Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster “where she was pronounced dead at 1:48 p.m.”

An autopsy on Mrs. Freudenthal is scheduled for tomorrow. Mr. Early said “it appeared there were traumatic injuries to the face” of Mrs. Freudenthal and she was found in the bathroom. He said it was too early in the investigation to comment on how she sustained the injuries or what type of weapon, if any, was involved.

Police are looking into whether she struck her head on a toilet during a struggle, along with other possibilities, Mr. Early said.

Mr. Freduenthal, who was inside the home, did not appear to be injured.

Mr. Early said that when police went to the house the first time there was no indication of domestic violence, but two officers “had to put themselves between Mr. Freudenthal and the IRS agents and the seizure of the vehicle occurred at that time.” The IRS agents were seizing the car for nonpayment of taxes, Mr. Early said.

“There was aggressive action by Mr. Freudenthal at that point that was directed to the two IRS agents,” Mr. Early said.

A neighbor said today that it appeared the couple were having financial problems and that their single-story ranch style home was in foreclosure.

Yellow crime scene tape surrounded the home as police continued their investigation, which, Mr. Early said, could lead to additional charges.

One of the couple's two adult daughters was at home when the alleged assault occurred but it was unclear whether she witnessed what happened, Chief Bent said. That daughter is 23 years old and lives with her parents and the other daughter lives elsewhere in Massachusetts, Chief Bent said.

Mr. Early said the incident appears to be “a tragic case of domestic violence” and added that there have been more than 2,000 domestic violence cases in Worcester County this year. He described second-degree murder as “intent to cause grievous bodily injury that resulted in death.”

Records list Mr. Freudenthal as owning Auburn & Holden Pest Control in Auburn. No one answered the telephone there this afternoon.

Mr. Freudenthal was being held at the Webster Police Department last night.

Brian Lee of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.