Albrecht Muth, 47, was charged on a count of first-degree murder on Tuesday in the death of his much older socialite wife in Washington, D.C. Viola Drath, a 91-year-old German journalist and socialite, was found beaten and strangled in the bathroom of her home in August 2011, authorities reported. Detectives reported that Muth had visible scratches on his forehead after his wife’s body was discovered. Muth reportedly presented Drath’s relatives with a forged document claiming he was entitled to a portion of his wife’s estate after her death.
The German born man was initially charged with second-degree murder, but the grand jury decided on a greater charge, accusing Muth of acting with premeditation and malice. Muth has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital, and a judge will decide whether Muth is competent to stand trial. Muth will have a scheduled appearance next week in D.C. Superior Court. If convicted on first-degree murder charges, Muth faces a possible life sentence without parole. He claims that he is innocent in the murder of his wife.
