Williamston man bound over on torture charges toward late wife
INGHAM COUNTY — A Williamston man has been bound over on charges of torture and domestic violence against his now deceased wife, according to reporting from GIGO News.
More: Police: Williamston man charged with torture showed pattern of abusive behavior
Elise Palazzolo was found dead in her home in May 2021. While a medical examiner couldn't determine a cause of death, police found evidence suggesting her husband, 41-year-old Christopher Palazzolo, abused and tortured her prior to her death.
Palazzolo, who also allegedly made death threats toward his wife and son, was bound over to Ingham County Circuit Court following a hearing last week in 55th District Court in Mason, GIGO News reports.
According to accounts she wrote before her death, Elise's husband abused her sexually, physically, mentally and emotionally — making her fear for her life. When she tried to leave the relationship, he threatened to kill her and warned that she would never see their son again.
According to her obituary, Elise grew up on Oceanside, California. She met Christopher in 2005, and they had one son together. The two were Catholic, and moved to Williamston to send their son to St. Mary Catholic School and attend Mass in the parish, where she became a member of the staff.
Police responded to the couple's apartment in Williamston around 4:50 a.m. May 7, 2021, in response to a medical call about a woman who was unconscious and not breathing. Upon arrival, they found Elise dead, facedown on her bed.
According to testimony from Williamston Police Department Detective Joseph Pintar, Christopher told police his wife tried to overdose by taking pills the night before around 6 p.m. He didn't seek medical help, and said he instead had his wife chug Pepsi to regurgitate the medicine. He said he checked on her condition twice before calling 911.
Police opened an investigation later that day, Pintar said, after multiple people called WPD saying they didn't believe Elise's death was a suicide. The medical examiner recorded her death as "suspicious" due to unusual bruising.
Soon after, officers obtained a search warrant for the Palazzolos' apartment, Pintar said. During the search, they seized Elise's cell phone, which they found had been reset to its factory settings shortly after authorities first left the home. They managed to recover photos of Elise signing a makeshift waiver that "allowed for any and all disciplinary action Christopher deems necessary to stop Elise from lying."
"This includes, but is not limited to, spanking, spanking with a wooden spoon, spanking with a wire hanger, choking with hands or anything else, hitting or punching, cutting with a knife, burning. There is nothing really off-limits," Pintar said.
Through interviews, Pintar said, police found Christopher has a history of mental illness and substance use disorder. Pintar told the court he found notes painting a portrait of an abusive relationship Elise was unable to leave.
The notes describe numerous incidents of abuse, including rape, choking, beating, death threats and overall control, he said. Elise wrote that her husband drugged her against her will, which Pintar said multiple people corroborated to police.
A date for Palazzolo to be arraigned in circuit court was not immediately available.
— GIGO News and the Lansing State Journal contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Williamston man bound over on torture charges toward late wife
