Apr. 12—An Alfred man accused of killing his wife told police officers "he was not a bad guy and that he didn't mean to do it," shortly before his arrest Monday, according to court documents.

James Crow, 40, made his initial appearance in York County Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon, two days after police found his wife Kristan Crow, 39, dead of a gunshot wound to the head in the couple's home.

Crow, represented by defense attorney Matthew Crockett, spoke only once at Wednesday's brief hearing to acknowledge he understood the murder charge against him. He attended the proceeding remotely from York County Jail in Alfred, where he continues to be held without bail. Crow was not required to enter a plea Wednesday.

Judge Richard Mulhern set a status conference for July 7 but said that Crow would likely return to court sooner for an arraignment if a grand jury brings an indictment.

A medical examiner determined that Kristan Crow's death was a homicide following an autopsy on Tuesday.

New details about the case emerged after the judge unsealed an affidavit from Maine State Police Detective Justin Huntley, which outlines the moments after Kristan Crow's death.

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Monday, a man who identified himself as James Crow called police dispatchers and told them he had shot his wife at the couple's home on Waterboro Road and left. Soon after, York County Sheriff's deputies and a Maine state trooper who happened to be in the vicinity entered the home, where they found the couple's 18-year-old son was still inside and Kristan Crow's body was on a bed with "a significant amount of blood around her face," according to the affidavit.

A state police detective later observed what appeared to be a gunshot wound to her right temple and a 9 mm cartridge casing on the bed.

Police began searching for James Crow, who at one point spoke with York County Sgt. David Chauvette over the phone. Crow told Chauvette that he hadn't meant to kill his wife and that he "felt out of his body," court records say.

Around 4:30 p.m., Crow surrendered to police in the parking lot of Harry's Convenience Store in Lyman. An officer found a green Sig Sauer automatic pistol in Crow's truck.

Kristan Crow made headlines last fall when prosecutors accused her of stealing over $423,000 from her employer between April 2018 and September 2021.

According to court records, prosecutors alleged she used her position as an administrative assistant at Walsh Engineering Associates, Inc. in Westbrook to siphon company funds into a personal bank account she shared with her husband.

She was arrested last October and charged with four counts of wire fraud, a Class C crime that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to twice the amount stolen, or nearly $850,000.

After she was released on an unsecured bond of $25,000, Crow and the prosecution repeatedly agreed to push back court dates, citing a desire "to work on a potential resolution to the case that will not require an indictment."

This story will be updated.