73-year-old wife gets witness to help cover up her husband’s slaying, MO cops say

A 73-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting her husband claims she doesn’t know how he was killed, Missouri authorities say.

Officers in St. Louis were dispatched to a home Aug. 20 for a report of an unresponsive man, but William Nelson, 45, met police outside the home and said it was a false alarm, according to a probable cause statement.

But a few hours later, officers were again called to the home, this time for a report of a deceased male, police said.

The victim, identified by KSDK as 70-year-old Herbert Nelson, was found dead on a couch with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the court documents filed Sept. 3.

His wife, Beverly Nelson, told officers “she did not know how her husband was shot and killed in their shared residence,” police said.

An investigation, however, revealed William Nelson witnessed Beverly Nelson kill her husband during an argument, then he helped her clean up the crime scene, authorities said in the probable cause statement. The relationship between William Nelson and the other Nelsons is unclear. c

William Nelson told authorities he lied to protect the shooter, police said.

Court records show Beverly Nelson is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. William Nelson faces charges of hindering prosecution of a felony and tampering with evidence.

This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 12:52 PM with the headline "73-year-old wife gets witness to help cover up her husband’s slaying, MO cops say."