The former fire chief of the Webster County town of Otho is charged with murder in Arizona. Fifty-year-old Dennis Crouse was arrested Tuesday after his wife, 36-year-old Diane Crouse, was found stabbed to death at their home in Queen Creek, Arizona. Mr. Crouse was arraigned yesterday on a charge of first-degree murder.
The Crouse family moved to Arizona from Iowa earlier this year. Mrs. Crouse’s body was discovered by her eight-year-old daughter who was returning home from school. An 18-month-old child was in the home at the time but wasn’t hurt. Mr. Crouse is jailed. His next court appearance is slated for December 8th. The children are in state custody until relatives from Iowa arrive in Arizona to pick them up.