Wisconsin man accused of killing wife, trying to hide body

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (FOX 9) - A western Wisconsin man is accused of killing and trying to hide the body of his wife over the weekend.

Wisconsin man arrested for murder

What we know:

Gordon Laakso, 70, was booked into the St. Croix County Jail on Sunday on charges of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and strangulation and suffocation.

He was charged in St. Croix County Court on Monday.

Wife found dead in rural area

Timeline:

Police say Laakso was arrested on Sunday after police were called to his home around 1:45 p.m. on Sunday for a welfare check for his wife Mary.

The 911 caller said Gordon Laakso had "made statements that led [the caller] to believe Mary may have been harmed earlier in the day."

At Laakso's home on Bluff Border Road on the western edge of New Richmond, police found Gordon but said Mary wasn't there or answering phone calls.

The investigation ultimately led officers to a rural area in Polk County where police say they found Mary dead around 4 p.m.

A report from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner on Monday pointed to Mary Laakso's death being a homicide, police said.

The backstory:

Online listings show Laakso worked as an insurance agent in Wisconsin, covering home and auto insurance.

What we don't know:

The exact circumstances that led police to Polk County are unclear. The Laakso home is about six miles south of the county border. The exact area where Mary Laakso was found is also unclear.

What's next:

Laakso is being held on a $1 million cash bond under a number of conditions, including surrendering his passport and submitting to monitoring if released. He is currently still behind bars at the St. Croix County Jail.

Laakso is set to return to court on March 17.