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ROY — A 74-year-old man has been charged with murder and booked into the Weber County Jail in connection with the death of his 71- year-old wife in February.
Dennis Vance Chamberlain, of Roy, was charged Tuesday in 2nd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors said they believe Chamberlain purposely gave his ailing wife, Jean, substances that killed her.
But Roy police Tuesday declined to say whether they believed Chamberlain's alleged actions were committed as a mercy killing, assisted suicide, or whether his intentions were more malicious.
"We think we know a motive," Roy Police Lt. Kevin Smith said. "Everything will come out eventually."
On Feb. 16, Chamberlain told his family that his wife, who suffered from poor health, had died. He told police no one was around at the time of her death, according to charging documents.
Despite being an unattended death, neither law enforcement nor paramedics were notified, the charges state. When Roy police found out about her death, detectives initiated an investigation "to determine if anything suspicious resulted," the charges stated.
Dennis had initially told his family that he had walked his dog around the block, and when he returned home, he found Jean deceased. He later told neighbors a different story...
–charging documents
Police started interviewing people, and quickly got conflicting stories about where Chamberlain was that morning.
"Dennis had initially told his family that he had walked his dog around the block, and when he returned home, he found Jean deceased. He later told neighbors a different story about him taking Jean to the hospital earlier that morning, and after he went on a walk to the mailbox, he returned home and found her deceased. Dennis also told his family that his LDS (Church) bishop had responded to the home and pronounced Jean deceased, but it was later confirmed he had never responded nor was the bishop notified until a day after Jean’s death," according to the charges.
Detectives served search warrants on Chamberlain's computers and found search histories for "methods on how to commit suicide and other resources such as doctors to sign death certificates. The search histories also were specific to certain medications, chemicals and poisons," according to the report.
Financial records showed Chamberlain had bought an oxygen mask and a book titled “The Peaceful Pill Handbook."
"The book was collected from Dennis’ home during a search warrant, and after reviewing its contents, it appeared Dennis had marked several areas inside with an emphasis on the Exit Bag with nitrogen gas. The book informs the reader that the only method undetectable at autopsy is an Exit Bag with nitrogen gas, and the items needed to construct the kit are easily accessible," the charges state.
The book was a guide "on how to commit suicide without it being detected in an autopsy. This book could also be used as a guide to commit a homicide," Roy police stated.
When detectives interviewed Chamberlain, he told them "he would not go to prison, and if that possibility ever arose, he would commit suicide before being arrested," according to the report.
Chamberlain also threatened to move out of country, possibly to Uruguay or Argentina.
"These comments were made to me while Dennis was being treated for a psychological evaluation at the St. Joseph Marion Center for threatening suicide," an officer wrote in charging documents.
After he was released from the hospital, Chamberlain moved around to different hotels in Davis County rather than return home, the report stated.
Chamberlain is currently being held on no bail at the jail.
Smith said Jean Chamberlain was in "poor health physically" and not only required help with everyday tasks, but was looking into entering a long- term healthcare facility at the time of her death.
"The victim in this case suffered from some stroke-type health problems and was using a wheelchair and required daily help from other people to cook and bathe, but was very healthy mentally," Roy police said in a prepared statement.
Smith said detectives were following up on a couple of leads that may speak more to a possible motive.
Dennis Chamberlain's initial court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
