A man has been charged with murder after telling deputies that he choked his fiancée to death, according to a Walton County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Cole Morgan Ward, 28, of DeFuniak Springs, was a resident of the home on Picasso Circle where the incident occurred Monday afternoon, according to Corey Dobridnia, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office.
Ward remained in the Walton County Jail on Wednesday under a $50,000 bond, Dobridnia said.
When deputies arrived at the home they detained Ward and, after attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator on the victim’s heart, confirmed that she had died.
Ward was interviewed before he was taken to the Sheriff’s Office for further questioning. Representatives from the State Attorney’s Office also responded to the scene, according to Dobridnia.
A search warrant for the home was drafted Monday evening and was approved, the release said.
“During the course of the investigation, probable cause was obtained to charge Ward with second-degree murder,” the news release stated. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was signed by a local judge.
Ward had his first court appearance Tuesday, at which time the $50,000 bond was set, according to the news release.
