Burleson man killed wife, then performed CPR on her, affidavit says

After a night of drinking last month, Richard Ward argued with his wife at home, he told police. She stormed out and went to the garage.

After an hour, he found his spouse, Cynthia Thompson, hanging by an extension cord in the garage, he said. Ward told police he cut her down and called 911. Officers found him performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Thompson when they arrived.

She was rushed to an area hospital and died.

But a preliminary autopsy indicates that Thompson, 52, did not die from being hanged, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram on Monday.

And one of Ward’s friends told police that Ward, 53, had confessed to killing his wife and covering it up, according to the affidavit.

Ward was arrested Jan. 30, two days after his wife died. A final ruling on her death is pending.

Ward remained in the Johnson County Jail on Monday in Cleburne in lieu of $500,000 bail. He faces a murder charge.

Police said Ward called officers to his Burleson home in the 1300 block of Erin Court about 4 a.m. Jan. 28, saying that his wife had hanged herself in the garage.

When they arrived, police and MedStar paramedics took over the CPR effort. Thompson was taken to Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South, where she was pronounced dead at 5:03 a.m., police said.

“Officers advised that the defendant (Ward) appeared intoxicated at the time of their arrival,” Detective Nicholas Grace wrote in the affidavit. “The defendant smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech. The defendant told officers that he had been drinking throughout the day.”

Police searched the home, determined that Ward and Thompson had been the only people in the house, and left.

Kevin Floyd, best man at Ward’s wedding, went to the couple’s home about 1 p.m. that afternoon, according to the affidavit. Ward told him “he had killed his wife and covered it up,” the affidavit stated.

Floyd later went to the police department and told detectives about Ward’s confession, according to the affidavit.

Two days later, on Jan. 30, Ward went to the Burleson police station for questioning and was later arrested.

The couple had a violent history, records show. In September 2015, Ward was convicted in Johnson County for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Police said the case involved Ward’s wife. He was sentenced to one month and eight days in jail, records show.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Burleson man killed wife, then performed CPR on her, affidavit says."