BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly killing his wife after deputies discovered a decomposed body inside a Bexar County home, according to the sheriff’s office.
Charles Vandoil Byrd, 49, was taken into custody near the scene in south Bexar County in connection to the death of his wife, Angela Byrd, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Sunday in a news conference.
He was booked on a tampering with evidence with intent to impair a human corpse charge. The sheriff said murder charges are likely once the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms the identity of the remains and determines the cause of death.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Saturday in the 22100 block of Pleasanton Road after a relative reported that Byrd “may have done something” to Angela Byrd, Salazar said.
Upon entering the home, deputies detected a strong odor of decomposition and obtained a search warrant to investigate further, Salazar said.
In Byrd’s residence, deputies discovered a decomposed body wrapped in plastic, the sheriff’s office said.
A Bexar County SWAT Team arrived at the property in its search of Charles Byrd on Sunday.
According to a BCSO spokesperson, the SWAT Team rammed through the gate of the property to gain entry.
As the SWAT Team made its way up a dirt road on the property, the sheriff’s office said two individuals were seen running away from the home. The two individuals were initially detained but were later cleared of any criminality and were released. A third person, a man who owned the property, was also detained and later released, deputies said.
According to the sheriff’s office’s spokesperson, SWAT operators spoke to Byrd, who was outside of the home with his hands up, and took him into custody without incident at approximately 3 p.m.
Salazar said Byrd admitted to investigators that he had a violent encounter with his wife on June 16, which he believes led to her death.
The sheriff also said Byrd spent the following weeks living in the home with the body, taking steps to mask the odor using household items.
As Byrd was being escorted to a BCSO patrol vehicle, he told KSAT, “I’m so sorry. I loved my wife.” He described having a “mental break.”
Byrd asked that his actions not define him and apologized to his children.
Salazar said Byrd did not request an attorney and was cooperative during questioning.
Anyone with any information related to the case is asked to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000 or email BCSOTIPS@bexar.org.
This is a developing story. KSAT will update this story as more information becomes available.
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