American charged with aggravated murder of wife in France

A Brooklyn man who told French police investigators that he killed his wife by stabbing her twice during an argument, has been charged with her murder, a prosecutor said Monday.

French-American, identified in French media reports as Billy Kruger, told investigators that he acted in self-defense, Marie-Agnès Joly, a prosecutor in southwest city of Narbonne, told Associated Press.

Kruger was placed under formal investigation Sunday on a preliminary charge of aggravated murder and ordered held in jail, pending a possible trial.

body of his wife, 52-year-old Laure Bardina-Kruger, was found Friday in Peyriac-de-Mer, on Mediterranean coast, south of Narbonne.

couple lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he is a diving instructor and she worked as a teacher, Joly said. couple h a holiday home in Peyriac-de-Mer, and police found wife’s body hidden in storm drain nearby.

husband was detained Friday as he was preparing to fly from Toulouse, bound for Jakarta, prosecutor said.

couple h been expected to fly out toger. wife’s parents raised alarm after y were unable to reach couple by phone ahe of flight. Police sent to couple’s home found that wife’s belongings were still re. y n learned that husband h checked into flight alone. He was arrested in boarding zone of airport.

During police questioning, man said he stabbed his wife twice, prosecutor said. He said y’d been arguing and he put forward “a vague” explanation of self-defense, she said.

investigation is continuing.