LOWER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, PA – Murder charges have been filed against an 84-year-old man following the death of his wife in their Lower Pottsgrove Township home. Barton Seltmann was taken into custody by police on November 28, after officers were called to a scene concerning an “unresponsive” woman in the couple’s North Keim Road residence.
Upon arrival, officers found 85-year-old Margaret Seltmann “obviously deceased” within the property, while Barton was discovered covered in blood, prosecutors from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office revealed. With an injured hand, the 84-year-old was promptly transported to a local hospital so that she could receive medical treatment.
Seltmann told investigators that the deadly incident began with a financial dispute between him and his wife regarding veterinary care for their pet cat. Barton claimed that his wife had retrieved a knife and threatened to kill him. He said he reacted by throwing a chair at her and continued to strike her with the same chair, his fists, and other nearby objects, even after she had hit her head and fallen to the ground.
Police discovered a small kitchen knife under Margaret’s body during their investigation, along with fragments from a shattered candle jar.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office determined Margaret Seltmann’s cause of death as blunt force injuries. Barton Seltmann was subsequently taken into custody and charged with first-degree and third-degree murder. He remains at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A subsequent court appearance has been set for December 5, 2023.