A 44-year-old associate professor at Regis University in Denver was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder after police found his wife with head injuries and their infant daughter not breathing in their Central Park home Monday morning.
Nicholas Myklebust called from his home in the 3200 block of North Syracuse Street just before 7 a.m. Monday reporting that he had found his wife on the ground with blood coming from her head and that their daughter was not breathing, according to Denver police and an arrest affidavit . .
The woman, identified by police as 44-year-old Seorin Kim, was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The baby girl, whose age was not provided, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators noted that Kim had blunt force injuries to her face and head that were inconsistent with a fall, and police found bruises and blood on Myklebust’s knuckles and scratches on his chest and neck, according to the affidavit.
Their daughter had no visible injuries.
The Office of the Medical Examiner in Denver will determine the cause and manner of death for both victims, police said.
Myklebust told police he woke up from his sleep on the couch and went to the bedroom to check on his wife and daughter when he found Kim face down and injured and the baby not breathing, according to the affidavit. He told officers their relationship was “great,” although the baby was fussier than usual and the couple had been depressed since experiencing a personal loss in 2021.
Myklebust told police that the bruises on his knuckles were skin discoloration and that the scratches on his body were the result of itching from his psoriasis, investigators wrote. He also said that Kim must have fallen from a ladder in the bedroom.
Myklebust, an associate professor of English at Regishas no prior criminal charges in Colorado other than a speeding conviction, according to court records.
Regis officials released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying they were saddened to learn of Myklebust’s arrest and that the news was “deeply disturbing to our entire community.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this situation, especially the families of the victims, and all members of our community who are struggling with this difficult news,” university officials said. “In moments of such sadness and confusion, we are reminded of our Jesuit values: to offer compassion and seek justice with love.”
Myklebust is in custody at the Downtown Detention Center on suspicion of first-degree murder and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Sign up to receive crime news straight to your inbox every day.
Originally published: