El Cajon

A medical student charged with strangling his wife had scratches on his face when he was interviewed by police, a police officer testified Friday.

The preliminary hearing of Charlie Richardson, 30, began Friday and will resume Monday.

Richardson is accused of killing his wife of seven years, Maria (Bet) Richardson, 30, on Dec. 20 in the El Cajon medical lab where she was worked.

Detective Michael Howard of the El Cajon Police Department said he interviewed Richardson the day of the slaying. Richardson never asked him how his wife died, Howard recounted, and appeared calm in talking to him about her death.

Richardson told the officer the slaying may have been an accident, Howard said. The defendant did not cry, he said.

Howard said Richardson had scratches on his hands, chest, nose, and shoulder. He said Richardson said he got them from his wife while he was tickling her.

Dr. Terry Winegar testified that he found the body when he arrived for work at the El Cajon Group Laboratory.

Another doctor will testify on Monday when the hearing conducted by San Diego Municipal Judge H. Ronald Domnitz reconvenes.

Richardson is free on a $50,000 bail bond.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Lori Rooney said Richardson took out a $100,000 life insurance policy for his wife four months before the slaying.

He has no previous criminal record, said his attorney, Richard Siref, and the slaying and arrest shocked many of the couple’s friends and neighbors.