Subscribe

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — An Article 32 hearing for a U.S. Army major charged with murder in the death of his wife was postponed this week, according to the Army.

No date has been scheduled for the grand jury-like hearing, according to Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, an 8th Army spokesman. It was originally set to take place Wednesday.

Maj. Richard Hart, 45, was arrested in the early morning Aug. 12. Police said Incheon Highway Patrol officers saw him dump a plastic-wrapped object from the Yongjong Bridge leading to Incheon International Airport.

Police recovered the body of his wife, Patricia Ann Hart, 53, below the bridge, wrapped in plastic and sealed with duct tape. Korean police said Hart denied killing his wife but admitted he punched her during an argument preceding her death.

Hart, who also is charged with obstructing justice, was arrested off-post, but Korean authorities turned him over to U.S. officials. Because both Hart and his wife were covered by the Status of Forces Agreement, the military has primary jurisdiction.

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now