Mesa police arrested a detective from the maricopa county attorney's office last week on suspicion of murdering his wife.

John C. Byrd, 47, is charged with second-degree murder, police said. The Pima County Attorney will handle the prosecution.

Police responded to the couple's home around 5 p.m. on July 31 for a welfare check on the couple's wife, Elizabeth Byrd, 43, who lived in the Chrismon Creek area near Baseline Road and Chrismon Road.

The woman told police that Elizabeth did not attend the gym class they usually attended together, and that she was not seen or heard from for most of the day.

According to court documents, the woman also texted Elizabeth's 11-year-old son, telling her that he and his two siblings, ages 8 and 4, had not seen their mother all day and that their bedroom door was locked. He said he learned that he had been.

The woman picked up her three children and took them to her home.

When police arrived at the home, they found the wife dead on the bedroom floor, with no obvious injuries to her body.

According to police, Byrd was absent from work as he was receiving medical treatment, but because he was not at home, they could not find him or call him.

Police later found Bird driving his wife's car on Power Road near Warner Road.

In a police interview, Mr Byrd said: “He has recently had mental health issues and is extremely stressed out in his home and work life.''

The suspect told detectives that around 6 a.m. that day, he was in a heated argument with his wife when “a switch went off.”

Byrd told police he put his hands around his wife's neck and strangled her. He left her alone on the bedroom floor and locked the bedroom door to prevent the children from seeing her.

“The defendant stated that he knew his actions were wrong,” the document said.

Before working for MCAO, Byrd worked as a detective in the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections for five years, according to an MCAO article featuring him during Black History Month. After working in the Department of Juvenile Corrections, Bride became a criminal investigator with the Arizona Department of Liquor Control.

When a detective position opened up at MCAO, Byrd said in the article, it seemed like the job would be a good fit for his skill set, having previously worked in the Family Violence Bureau.

“Working in the Domestic Violence Bureau allows me to play a role in bringing justice, healing, and self-empowerment to those who have suffered in silence under the grip of coercive control,” Byrd said at the time.

Byrd was also known for his volunteer work in the community, including developing a mentorship program at Solano Elementary School.

Byrd was jailed in lieu of $750,000 bail.

Mesa police said there were no previous calls to the couple's home.