Police arrested the wife of a man found murdered in a Grand Chute motel.
Police say Mastella Jackson, 34, of Appleton, was booked on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Derrick Whitlow, 41.
Police say once Whitlow was identified, they began researching family members and known associates.
Police interviewed his estranged wife, and obtained a search warrant which they executed at her home on West 4th Street at about 2 o'clock Wednesday morning. They say they found items linking Jackson to her husband's death, including what they believe was the weapon that killed Whitlow.
We're told a criminal complaint won't be filed Wednesday but Jackson could be in court as soon as Thursday.
Police say they responded to a medical call to the Road Star Inn on West College Avenue at about 1:30 Tuesday afternoon but it quickly shifted to a homicide investigation.
Several people staying at the motel heard a disturbance at about noon. Eugene Brown was staying across the hall. He says he heard shouting.
"I heard this woman say, 'What the hell are you doing?' Then he started yelling, and yelling, and yelling. Pretty soon he said, 'Help, help, help,'" Brown said.
Ninety minutes later, the body was discovered by motel staff.
Grand Chute's police chief says Whitlow suffered a series of cuts that could have been caused by a knife.
"There are some wounds on the body that suggest they might be defensive in nature -- wounds on the hands and wounds on the arms -- so that leads us to believe that perhaps somebody else was present and some form of foul play is involved," Police Chief Greg Peterson said.
People staying at the motel were allowed to come and go.
