\
The 81-year-old man arrested on suspicion of strangling his wife to death Friday has yet to plead to the murder charge he is facing, according to L.A. County Superior Court records available Thursday.
Questions remain regarding the circumstances that led L.A. County prosecutors to file a first-degree murder charge against 81-year-old Gale Eugene Mortimer in the death of his wife, Penny Mortimer, who was 80.
Deputy District Attorney William Chung also filed a pair of sentencing enhancements against Gale Mortimer alleging the victim, Penny Mortimer, was particularly vulnerable and that Gale took advantage of a position of trust, as the spouse.
Her cause of death was listed as strangulation by the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In court documents filed Tuesday, Chung alleged that Mortimer killed his wife Sept. 2, and he was arrested around 3 p.m. Sept. 5.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials, who were responsible for his arrest, declined to release the circumstances that led to the discovery of Penny Mortimer or Gale’s arrest, referring questions to the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.
Lt. Steve DeJong, who’s in charge of the investigation, was not available for comment Thursday.
Sheriff’s Department officials indicated Mortimer, whose address is listed in the 33000 block of Bouquet Canyon Road, was attempting to kill himself when deputies intervened.
Mortimer has missed three hearing dates since the charges were filed, with court records indicating he was excused as a “medical miss-out.” Sheriff’s Department officials did not release the nature of his injuries.
Mortimer is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, according to custody records available online.
