Martha Agnew was found dead by her daughter on Feb. 17 in her modest home in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Her body showed no obvious signs of trauma and for months, police were unsure how she died. Her death was listed as “suspicious” and the first version of her death certificate listed no cause of death.
But now, police believe the 49-year-old was strangled and injected with fentanyl and heroin by her husband, Gregory Agnew, who was arrested last Friday and charged with open murder, according to online court records accessed by PEOPLE.
An amended death certificate classifies Martha’s death as a homicide, according to MLive.com.
After Agnew’s arrest, police confirmed to PEOPLE they had reopened their cold case investigation of the 1993 disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Tammy Niver.
Niver was 24 years old when she went missing on August 7, 1993. She disappeared days after she broke up with Agnew and moved out of his apartment, MLive reports.
Agnew has long been a suspect in Niver’s disappearance. According to MLive.com, police tried to arrest Agnew in 2014 for Niver’s murder, but they did not have a warrant at the time. Agnew later sued Washtenaw County and settled for $45,000.
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Agnew is being held on $500,000 bond and has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Ronald R Gold, maintains his client is innocent — and says he is interested to see the evidence that police have against Agnew.
“I’m a little surprised they are charging him.” Gold told MLive. “They’re not going to be able to prove this case.”
Gold also said that his client was being targeted for his previous lawsuit and settlement.
Police would not comment on the case to PEOPLE. Agnew will next appear in court for a status hearing later this month.
