Woodbury Man Says He Killed Wife So She Could Go To Heaven: Cops

WOODBURY, MN — An ex-bus aide for Woodbury schools is accused of killing his wife. Harvey Theodore Kneifl, 72, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Kneifl was previously accused of criminal sexual conduct involving preschool girls. That case is ongoing.

On Jan. 1, Kneifl was scheduled to appear in court in Washington County. After he failed to appear at the hearing and calls to his home went unanswered, Woodbury police were asked to conduct a welfare check.

A Woodbury sergeant found Kneifl in the shower of the home, bleeding from a neck wound. Two knives were found on the floor, according to authorities.

A nurse at the scene began providing aid to Kneifl. He told the nurse they would find his wife dead in the second bathroom, the criminal complaint states.

Officers went to the other bathroom and found Kneifl's deceased wife with a blanket draped over her, investigators said. She had deep laceration on the left side of her neck.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled her death a homicide.

Kneifl said his wife had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the last four years, and that he now thought she was in heaven and he helped her get there, according to the complaint.

He said he placed two knives in a linen closet a couple hours before he and his wife watched the 10 p.m. news.

After watching the news together, he helped his wife into the bathroom and told her he was going to help her get to heaven, according to police.

Kneifl said he took one of the knives and cut her throat and put her in the bathtub, investigators said. She died 20 minutes later, Kneifl told authorities.

According to the complaint, Kneifl said he killed his wife out of mercy.

Kneifl told police he then cut himself in the neck and laid down in the shower. He said he was asleep when the nurse arrived.

Photo: Renee Schiavone/Patch