A Hays County Grand Jury indicted John Fredrick Zedler, 55, of Kyle on murder charges last week for the death of his wife in June.
In the early morning hours of June 27, Hays County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 500 block of Palomino Road in Kyle, for a 911 medical assist emergency call.
First responders found Mildred Zedler, 55, unresponsive. She was transported to Seton Hays by San Marcos/Hays County EMS. Mildred was pronounced dead at 1:32 a.m. and medical staff contacted the Hays County Sheriff’s Office advising of a possible suspicious death. Doctors reported she had a broken nose, facial lacerations and a tampon shoved down her throat.
During the ongoing investigation and after a forensic examination at Central Texas Autopsy in Lockhart, it was determined her death was a homicide. According to the autopsy, Mildred died of manual strangulation.
John Zedler, and his son Brandon, were on the scene when Mildred was taken to the hospital.
According to a report filed by Hays County Sheriff’s Deputy Angelo Floiran, John and Brandon were taken to the sheriff’s department for questioning.
During the interview, John Zedler attempted suicide by sticking the metal edge of his glasses into an electrical socket. He was not harmed. He yelled at investigators that he killed his wife.
He yelled repeatedly that he slapped his wife and yelled that he stuck a tampon up her nose. He also said he threw water on her and shook her to try to wake her up.
Meanwhile, Brandon told investigators that his mother “had been out of it,” which concerned him. He said he asked his father to take her to the hospital, but John refused.
Brandon eventually called 911 when Mildred wouldn’t respond. According to the report, Brandon saw a bloody rag or towel in his mother’s mouth. He also saw blood on the bed near a pillow.
Brandon attempted CPR on his mother while John Zedler told him that she was fine and didn’t need CPR.
Among the injuries listed in the autopsy, Mildred suffered severe bruising of the nose, scratches on her neck, a broken bone in her neck and hemmoraghing on the left side of her neck.
John Zedler was arrested and charged with Mildred’s murder. He remains in custody at the Hays County jail on a total bond of $435,000.
