Suspect: Stabbing of wife was self-defense — Strauss called police on spouse in 2005; she reported threats. but he did get sentenced to 25 years.

By Christine Reid (Contact)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Homicide suspect Alfred Michael Strauss listens during his bond hearing Tuesday at the Boulder County Jail.

A Boulder man arrested on suspicion of fatally stabbing his former wife Monday told police he was acting in self defense.

Alfred Michael Strauss, 45, is facing a possible charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of 36-year-old Laura Swan, who went by the name Laura Strauss when the two were married.

In 2005, Strauss called police to report Swan was trying to provoke a fight while they were going through a divorce. Swan reported then that her husband had threatened to kill her.

Strauss and Swan divorced in April 2005, but they reconciled in December and had been living together with their two boys in a home at 2970 18th St., according to an arrest report.

Monday, Strauss told police he and Swan had been arguing all day when, at about 4:15 p.m., she became very angry and came at him with “the biggest butcher knife we have,” according to the report.

Strauss said he got the knife away from her, stabbed her and then left to pick up their children, ages 2 and 4, from day care, police reported. On the way, Strauss called his father, an attorney, who told him to return to the house.

Strauss said he returned home before getting the kids, and without knowing if Swanwas alive, he “touched her with a napkin,” then called 911.

Strauss told detectives that if he had not been paying attention, he would have been the one killed, the report stated. During his interview, police took pictures of abrasions on Strauss as well as samples of dried blood, according to his arrest report…. (Full Story)

The claim that stabbing of wife was self-defense did not help.

Strauss sentenced to 25 years in ex-wife’s murder

Friends and family members of a Boulder woman who worked as a volunteer with convicts and drug addicts honored her memory in court Friday before a judge sentenced her ex-husband to 25 years in prison for murdering her….Full story and comments