NAPLES, N.Y. (Reuters) -
A man who told police his van accidentally rolled off a 300-foot (90-meter) cliff with his wife inside has been charged with her murder, police said.
Walter Casper III, 39, of Macedon, about 15 miles (9 km) east of Rochester in upstate New York, initially told police he and his wife were returning from breakfast at a restaurant when he pulled off the road to relieve himself.
He said the van was gone when he came out of the woods, apparently having accidentally rolled off a cliff.
Catherine Casper was thrown from the vehicle and was found dead by firefighters who rappelled down the cliff to retrieve her.
After two hours of questioning, Casper, who had two children with his wife, admitted that he put the van in gear and jumped out as it plummeted down the cliff, police said.
"The average person reading the newspaper thought that story was fishy, and we did too," said Capt. Mark Fischer of the state police.
"He indicated to us he intentionally exited his van while the motor was running so it would carry over the side of the cliff and that motion would kill his wife," Fischer said. "He ran away, in his words, 'like a coward."'
Firefighters who worked to rescue the woman said they felt betrayed.
"We were doing everything possible to console him, to help him, and it turns out that he knew all along what was going on," said Naples Fire Chief Patrick Elwell.
Police said the couple had been having marital problems.
