A 63-year-old Des Moines woman is dead, and her nephew is charged with her murder. Barbara Gaston was found dead in her townhouse Tuesday after police received a call from her nephew, 28-year-old John Bingham, saying she had fallen and needed help. Police arrived at Gaston’s home and found her dead in a bedroom and her vehicle missing. Des Moines Police Sergeant Kenneth Brown says Bingham was caught by cops at the murder scene, as they saw him drive by in his aunt’s car. Brown says police chased the aunt’s car, and when they pulled the car over, Bingham was inside. Brown says Bingham has confessed to robbing his aunt and strangling her with his bare hands. The Polk County Medical Examiner ruled Gaston died of strangulation. Bingham is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on murder and robbery charges as well as some traffic charges connected to the police chase. Police say this isn’t Bingham’s brush with the law. He has faced burglary, theft, forgery and domestic abuse charges in the past — and spent time in prison. Some of those crimes were committed against his aunt. Bingham was released from prison in May of this year.
