An 81-year-old man is accused of beating his 71-year-old wife to death Tuesday at a retirement facility where they lived in Gwinnett County, police said.
Officers were called around 10 a.m. to the facility, located at 1611 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road at the intersection with Russell Road near Lawrenceville, according to police. Address records show the location is the Linwood Estates Gracious Retirement Living facility. Its website states it is an independent retirement community.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered the deceased body of one adult female inside one of the rooms,” Gwinnett police spokesperson Cpl. Juan Madiedo said in a statement. “At this time, officers have detained one male suspect who lived with the female in the same room.”
Warrants accuse Richard Hayden of beating his wife.
“Said accused unlawfully and with malice aforethought caused the death of Grace Hayden, a human being, by striking Grace multiple times on the head with a hammer, killing her,” his warrants state.
On Tuesday afternoon, police said Richard Hayden had been charged with malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault. He was being evaluated at a hospital for reasons unrelated to the incident before being booked into the Gwinnett jail.
The medical examiner’s office is expected to conduct an autopsy, police said.
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