NKyTribune staff
A Boone County Grand Jury Tuesday indicted a Florence man on charges of murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife.
Skirmont
The Boone County Commonwealth Attorney alleges Ronald Skirmont, 75, killed his wife, Marilyn Skirmont, in the basement of their Wellington Drive home in June, 2016.
Marilyn Skirmont’s death was reported by a 911 caller as a suicide, but first responders determined her death was not consistent with self-inflicted injuries.
Skirmont was arrested in his Madisonville, Kentucky residence following an interview this month. He is a being held on a $500,000 bond.
Marilyn Skirmont was 74 at the time of her death.
The Boone Commonwealth Attorney’s office issued the following statement regarding the investigation:
On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, the Boone County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Ronald M. Skirmont (DOB July 28, 1941) on charges of Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence, alleging that on or about June 29, 2016, he intentionally caused the death of his wife Marilyn Skirmont (DOB January 11, 1942).
On Thursday, June 30, 2016, Boone County Dispatch received a call that Mrs. Skirmont had been discovered dead in the basement of her residence at 159 Wellington Drive, Florence, Boone County, Kentucky. The caller indicated that she had committed suicide. However, upon their arrival, first responders with the Florence Police Department immediately recognized that the scene was not consistent with the report of self-inflicted injuries and that Mrs. Skirmont appeared to have been deceased for a period of twenty-four hours or more. Also, extensive efforts had been made to clean up the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement. The autopsy performed by the state Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that Mrs. Skirmont died from stab wounds to her neck, specifically the disruption of her left internal jugular vein. At the time, Mr. Skirmont reported that his wife had been depressed and discussed committing suicide.
Since originally reported in 2016, Det. Patrick Cottingham and members of the Florence Police Department have conducted an exhaustive examination of the physical evidence, interviewed multiple witnesses and analyzed forensic computer and phone downloads with the assistance of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department’s Electronic Crimes Unit. After an interview with the defendant earlier this month at his current residence in Madisonville, Kentucky, the investigation was presented to the Boone County Grand Jury by Commonwealth’s Attorney Linda Tally Smith and the indictment was returned. A warrant was issued for Ronald M. Skirmont, and he was taken into custody by the Madisonville Police Department this afternoon without incident. He is currently housed on a $500,000 cash bond.
We would like to extend our appreciation to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory, the state Medical Examiner’s Office, the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department and the Madisonville Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
Marilyn Skirmont was 74 years old at the time of her death.
** Note that the charges contained within a Grand Jury Indictment are allegations only, and it is the Commonwealth’s burden to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
