ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A homicide investigation is underway after a man was found dead inside a St. Lucie County home, according to deputies.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they responded to the 5200 block of Birch Drive in the Indian River Estates neighborhood at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, after getting a report of a possible dead person.
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When deputies arrived, they found the body of William Tietgens, 64, of Fort Pierce, inside the residence, Sheriff Richard Del Toro said during a press conference Thursday afternoon.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Bonnie Tietgens, 60, of Fort Pierce, attempted to contact her adult son by phone earlier in the day. Her son returned her phone call at around 9 p.m. and that is when she informed him,”dad was dead” and admitted to “striking him with a billy club in the head,” Del Toro said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the son then contacted his sister, and the pair went to the home after being unable to get in contact with William Tietgens. The two then notified police after discovering the man’s dead body in the home.
Del Toro said when deputies arrived, they found Bonnie Tietgens in the garage standing next to a washing machine, with a “blood-soaked blanket” beside her. When deputies looked in the machine, they found it loaded with “blood-soaked clothing and towels.”
The sheriff said Bonnie Tietgens was in the process of starting the wash cycle “in an attempt to destroy evidence,” as she was taken into custody. Del Toro said alcohol was a factor in this incident and that Bonnie Tietgens was intoxicated when she was interacting with deputies.
Following an extensive investigation by detectives from the criminal investigations division, Bonnie Tietgens was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, the sheriff’s office said.
Longtime neighbors Ken Harris and Sue Rozman have lived in Indian River Estates for 11 years and got to know the Tietgens over time.
“A lot of my friends live in this neighborhood,” Ken said.
“Eventually you’re going to get to know a lot of people,” added Sue.
WPTV
The residence in Indian River Estates.
They say Bill and Bonnie had a rocky past.
“They definitely had their history, you know, drinking and fighting. It’s just it was kind of just a common occurrence for years,” said Sue.
According to Del Toro, William Tietgens was arrested several years ago on domestic violence charges by the Port St. Lucie Police Department. He said since then there have been no calls to the residence in recent years. The sheriff believes the couple had been married for 40 years.
The shock of it all still hasn’t settled in for their neighbors.
“The thing that’s starting to get to me now, is going, Bonnie really did that,” Sue said. “She took someone’s life. I mean, that’s all there is to it, and in that way, in that awful way.”
The Tietgens leave behind two adult children. WPTV spoke with one of them by phone. They asked for privacy as they grieve.
“That is who I feel bad for,” said Ken. “They again, they lost their their dad and their mom, essentially.”
Bonnie Tietgens is being held at St. Lucie County Jail.