A 68-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to killing his wife, who vanished days after he filed for divorce three decades ago.
Elizabeth Gough Heath went missing in 1984 at age 30. Her remains were discovered stuffed into a well under a Connecticut barn in 2010, the News-Times reported.
Her husband John Heath, 68, of Bridgewater, was wheeled into Newtown court breathing through oxygen tubes and pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
HIs wife's body was discovered by a father and son in 2010 who were renovating the property that was once a dairy farm. They broke through a floor and found pillows, blankets and a bag containing what proved to be a femur.
Among the debris were Elizabeth's remains. According to records cited by NBC Connecticut, Elizabeth was shoved headfirst into the opening and her head was wrapped in plastic.
A medical examiner ruled that Elizabeth died from blunt force trauma.
The property in southwestern Connecticut changed hands because Heath -- who has remarried -- went into foreclosure, according to Reuters.
Heath reported his wife missing in 1984, telling cops that she abandoned their young daughter but took $600 with her, although friends said that he told them she left without a significant amount of money
Bond for the retired painting contractor was set at $1 million.