A 40-year-old Fairbanks man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend.
That’s according to a Wednesday press release from the Fairbanks Police Department. The release says police responded to the report of a death Tuesday night at an apartment on Bridget Avenue in Fairbanks.
Jonathan Krejcar, who had called 911, reportedly told police he had argued with his girlfriend, 35-year-old Celeste Landrus, earlier in the evening. According to charging documents, he said he then went to sleep, and found Landrus “cold” when he woke up.
Charging documents also say Krejcar told police he was intoxicated after they’d arrived at the apartment.
According to police, they found Landrus with bruising on her body and face, as well as injuries consistent with strangulation. Life-saving attempts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead about a half hour after police arrived, according to charging documents.
The documents say, in an interview after he was detained, Krejcar admitted to assaulting Landrus in the past, and on Tuesday. But he reportedly denied that his actions Tuesday evening would have resulted in her death, and said that when he went to bed, she was still alive.
The documents also say Krejcar told police she had choked herself before.
Krejcar was arraigned Wednesday and remanded to Fairbanks Correctional Center. His bail is set at $750,000, according to a court order. He's next set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Oct. 16.
Police say the Landrus’s next of kin have been notified.
This article has been updated to identify Celeste Landrus.