Keith Bartell's alleged case of "loose lips" has once again caught the attention of prosecutors.
Murder charges were filed against the Magna man last year after he reportedly confessed to his sister that he had killed his ex-wife, Mary Verline Bartell, 58, by performing a "Marine choke hold" on her and throwing her down the stairs.Now Keith Bartell will have to answer a witness-tampering charge in the verbal harassment of the same sister, Colleen Edwards.
In April, Edwards received a letter from her jailed brother asking her not to testify against him at his June 12 murder trial, according to a probable cause statement included Monday in a 3rd Circuit Court complaint.
Bartell telephoned his sister a short time later and, after learning of her intention to take the stand, warned "If I go to prison, you'll be the one to pay," the complaint said.
He also allegedly promised Edwards half of his ex-wife's life insurance settlement if she would
reconsider.
Monday's charge against Bartell adds one more chapter to an already complex tale surrounding his ex-wife's death.
On the morning of July 24, 1994, the defendant called 911 and said he'd just discovered Mary Bartell's body at the bottom of the stairs of her Magna home.
Despite protests from the victim's friends and family members who suspected foul play, investigators ruled the incident an accident.
But deputies opened the case three months later after learning Keith Bartell had told Edwards he had killed his ex-wife, according to court documents.
The defendant was later bound over for trial after Edwards repeated his alleged confession at a preliminary hearing.