DENVER, CO – A Colorado-based college professor, aged 44, was apprehended this week on suspicion of murdering his wife. The authorities allege that the professor, Nicholas Myklebust, beat his wife to death and then claimed she had fallen in their home. The couple’s two-month-old daughter was also found dead in the residence.
Myklebust, an English professor at Regis University in Denver, was arrested on Monday and is currently under investigation for first-degree murder. The identities of the victims have not been released by the authorities due to their familial relationship with Myklebust and the need to notify their next of kin.
The Denver Police Department reported that they received a 911 call from Myklebust’s residence on North Syracuse Street early Monday morning. Myklebust informed the dispatcher that he had discovered his wife bleeding on the floor and their infant daughter unresponsive.
Upon arrival, first responders found a severely injured woman with multiple blunt-force injuries. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The authorities also discovered the lifeless body of Myklebust’s infant daughter in the home, who showed no visible signs of injury.
Myklebust was taken to the police headquarters for questioning, where he suggested that his wife’s injuries were the result of a fall. However, investigators found inconsistencies in his account, noting that the injuries on the deceased woman did not align with a fall. Detectives also observed bruising and blood on Myklebust’s knuckles and scratches on his neck, leading to his detention on suspicion of murder.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will conduct autopsies on the victims to ascertain the cause and manner of death. The Denver District Attorney’s Office will decide on the formal charges against Myklebust, with any additional charges pending the conclusion of the Medical Examiner’s Office investigation.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with relevant information to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. A local resident, who witnessed the police activity, described the incident as “unnerving” and “way too close to home.”
Myklebust, a Ph.D. holder in medieval languages and literatures from the University of Texas at Austin, previously worked as a lecturer and instructor. His biography on the Regis University website describes him as a linguist specializing in the literatures of post-classical and medieval cultures.