86-year-old Florida woman accused of beating her 89-year-old husband to death with a cane

Jan. 9, 2019, 1324 GMT

From Kalhan Rosenblatt

An 86-year-old Florida woman is accused of beating her 89-year-old husband to death with a walking stick at his home. Inside the couple's home

Ramona Maxine Lund was arrested after her husband, Francis Joseph Lund, was found dead at their home, said Bob Johnson, Santa Rosa sheriff, at a police station. Monday press conference. Police said the scene was originally supposed to be a medical emergency but that it was subsequently identified as a crime scene.

Neighbors called police on Saturday after seeing Ramona Lund standing on her husband's body, thinking that he had fallen, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

After the arrival of the police they determined that Francis Lund had been a victim of violent trauma. Officers then discovered that the cane was covered with blood inside the house.

Officials are currently investigating whether Ramona Lund has the mental capacity to stand trial.

"From the observations of my investigators, as well as as a staff member, when you interact with her on a personal level, when you ask her questions, it is clear that she is confused, "said Johnson, according to the News Journal.

Attorney General Bill Eddins said at the press conference that his office is working with the Public Defender's Office to speed up the assessment of skills.

The News Journal said it was unclear whether Ramona Lund was suffering from a condition such as dementia, but when officials spoke to her, she did not know where she was and what time it was.

"If someone's suffering from dementia, he's not going to become competent, he'll stay like that," said Public Defender Bruce Miller, who represents Ramona Lund, in the News Journal. .

Police records show that Ramona Lund is being held on bail of $ 250,000.

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter for NBC News, based in New York.