FORT ATKINSON, Wis. — A woman accused of the murder of her grandmother and arson is one step closer to heading to a possible trial.
A Jefferson County judge found probable cause to bind Elizabeth Durkee over for trial after she waived her preliminary hearing Friday morning.
Durkee faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, strangulation and suffocation, arson, and mutilating a corpse stemming from an incident in June that started as a house fire — until a body was found inside the home. Officials determined the person inside the home, later identified as Durkee’s grandmother, was dead for quite some time before the fire because they found maggots in her clothing.
Durkee allegedly told investigators that her grandmother wanted to die because she did not want to go back to a nursing home. Durkee allegedly admitted to putting duct tape over her grandmother’s face and watching her suffocate before leaving her in the home for several days.
She’s currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Durkee’s next scheduled court appearance is for an arraignment on September 21st.
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