Doraville man ordered held in wife's murder
A DeKalb County judge on Tuesday found probable cause to hold a Doraville man on charges that he killed his wife.
Authorities say that Dennis Allaben, 46, killed Maureen Allaben Jan. 3, concealed her body in the bed of his pickup truck and drove with the couple’s two children to Virginia, where he dropped off the children with relatives.
Allaben then returned to Georgia, authorities say, his wife’s body still in the bed of the truck, and drove to the home of a friend in Jonesboro before turning himself in to police.
DeKalb police Det. N.D. Dodson testified Tuesday that Maureen Allaben, a food stylist and television set decorator, died by asphyxiation.
After the hearing, Dennis Allaben’s lawyer, Steve Frey, said, “What happened was tragic, unfortunate, and we believe it was unintentional.”
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
