Princeton man found not guilty in wife's death after she fell from window

WORCESTER, Mass. — A former Princeton dentist did not throw his wife out of a window, a jury decided Tuesday.

Roger Desilets was accused of killing his wife of more than 40 years, Kathleen, who died after falling from a third floor window of their home in 2011.

But the defense argued he did not play any role in that fall.

Now 72, Desilets was found not guilty of manslaughter in relation to her death after a trial. He was also cleared on charges of assault and battery.

Investigators said the former dentist threw his wife from the window of his Princeton home on Dec. 5, 2011 after a fight, which was fueled by anger around his longtime affair discovered the summer before.

“Investigators would discover several blood stains in the bathroom, in the hallway, on the door frame of a bedroom,” Assistant District Attorney John Bradley Jr. said.

Defense Attorney Michael Wilcox told the jury 65-year-old Kathleen Desilets had alcohol and Valium in her system and described her as highly intoxicated the night of her death.

"We could not be more disappointed with the decision reached by the jury today.  While we respect the legal process, it remains clear to us that only one person could be responsible for the death of Kathleen Desilets," her father, Roger Desilets Jr., said in a statement. "It was enormously disappointing to see her character and reputation targeted during this trial."

The defense argued there was no way to prove it wasn’t an accident or suicide by Kathleen.

“Kathleen Desilets, for reasons that only she can answer, sat on that window after breaking the glass and either took her life or she fell intending to make some sort of point with her husband,” Wilcox said.

The fractures, bruises and evidence of internal bleeding found during an autopsy were caused by her fall.

“That window was open because Kathleen Desilets opened it. Kathleen Desilets broke the storm window with a chair that was found lying on its side in that room,” Wilcox said.

The ADA said when police arrived, Dr. Desilets had cuts on his face and at first told detectives his wife might have fallen from the window and later changed his story to say she jumped.

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