Husband accused of killing wife with hammer before telling kids she had cancer

A man allegedly murdered his wife, buried her on their property then told their children that she left because she had a terminal illness

Joseph Glynn, 70, has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife Jackie Glynn, 76 (Metro Nashville Police Department)

A Tennessee man has been arrested on suspicion of beating his wife to death with a hammer, then telling their children that she had terminal cancer.

Joseph Glynn, 70, allegedly killed his wife, 76-year-old Jackie Glynn, inside their home on New Year’s Day, then drove to another county to bury her remains on property they owned.

Mr Glynn has been arrested on charges of criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse, police announced.

According to an affidavit obtained by WTVF, after allegedly beating his wife to death, the suspect then told his children that their mother had left home because she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her medical provider later refuted this claim and told the children that their mother had never had a diagnosis of cancer.

Jackie was initially reported as missing and was last seen at her home in Nashville driving a Toyota.

A Silver Alert was issued for the missing woman by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Friday, stating that she had a “medical condition that may impair her ability to return safely without medical assistance.”

However, Jackie was then found deceased in Smithville that same day, the TBI said.

A day after she was found, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced her husband had been arrested. The police said that Mr Glynn is believed to have driven her body the day after he killed her to a property in DeKalb County and buried her remains in a pit in a plastic vehicle cargo box, covering it up with brand-new roofing shingles and dirt, according to WTVF.

Jackie Glynn’s remains were found by police in a plastic vehicle cargo box in a grave at their property (Metro Nashville Police Department)

Jackie’s Toyota had also been towed and hidden by the suspect, the affidavit said, that was later found by police.

As police were conducting their investigation into Jackie’s disappearance, they spoke to her husband, who said he had been at the couple’s property in DeKalb County where he lit a bonfire, the outlet reported.

The police then contacted the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office to request a welfare check on the property.

As the local police arrived, they ran into Jackie’s son, who was also looking for his mother at the time.

After speaking to a neighbour, the police learned that a large hole had been dug at the Glynns’ property a few weeks earlier and had recently been filled with dirt.

The hole was dug on 16 December and was 6ft wide, 10ft long, and 6ft deep; Mr Glynn claimed it was to be used as a burn pit, DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray told WTVF.

After the discovery of Jackie’s remains, she was transported to Nashville for an autopsy.

Mr Glynn confessed to police upon his arrest that he hit his wife with a hammer at their home on the night of New Year’s Day, then buried her at his other property the following day.

It is unclear what motivated Mr Glynn to allegedly kill his wife.

He added that he threw the murder weapon away into a trash compactor, sold some of her belongings, and tried contacting a local realtor to sell the property.

Jackie has been remembered by her friends and colleagues as an “influencer, mentor and a friend.”

She owned the Riverwood Mansion, an events space and wedding venue in Nashville, her colleague Tricia Alsup told WTVF.

“I started working for her in 1997. I actually got married there [in Riverwood Mansion]. She was part of making my dreams come true, as well as so many brides, workers, and vendors,” Ms Alsup said.

Mr Glynn remains in custody in Nashville on a $1,030,000 bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in court on Tuesday.