A 65-year-old man was charged with murder after his ex-wife was found dead in their Lutherville home, according to Baltimore County police. 

Karl Daniel Geiger was charged with first-degree murder following the death of 69-year-old Patricia Watson-Geiger on September 15. On Friday, a judge ordered him to be held without bond.

Police say he and Watson-Geiger were married for 30 years and lived together after their divorce in 2019. In an interview where Geiger identified himself as Danny, he told our partners at The Baltimore Banner that the couple had three children, and they always remained friends.

Woman found dead 

Officers found Watson-Geiger's body in her home in the 1200 block of Oakcroft Drive. She was shot and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 

The Banner reported that Watson-Geiger was a local bartender and had celebrated her 50th high school reunion in 2024. 

According to court documents, Geiger called the police and reported a home invasion. He told dispatchers, "It looks like someone broke into my house, and my wife's not moving." 

During the call, Geiger said he discovered Watson-Geiger's body after returning home from work. 

He said her belongings were scattered across the kitchen when he got home, items were out of place, and drawers were left open.

Geiger told The Banner it was "like walking into your house and finding your best friend dead." 

Charging documents show that Watson-Geiger's body had blankets and sheets over it when officers arrived at the home. There was also a sleeping mask covering her eyes.

An autopsy revealed she died from a gunshot wound, and two bullet casings were found near her body, according to documents.

Despite reports of the house looking ransacked, Geiger told police that nothing was taken.

He also said that when he left the home that morning, Watson was asleep in her bedroom, charging documents show. Geiger told officers he left the door unlocked, as the couple normally does when someone is home. 

However, according to charging documents, police found surveillance footage showing that Geiger's vehicle did not leave the home around 7:30 a.m. as he reported. Instead, there was no movement at the home until gunshots were heard by neighbors around 8 a.m. 

"It's not uncommon to hear gunshots here because we're so close to the gun range," said Rod Stroup, a neighbor on Oakcroft Drive.

Geiger's vehicle was then seen leaving the area around 8:15 a.m., according to charging documents. Detectives also tracked his cell phone location.

Police also say he allegedly told a neighbor the victim was shot in the head, even though he claimed he didn't know where she was shot, to investigators.  

Police say investigators believe Geiger staged the burglary. 

Court appearance

Geiger appeared in Baltimore County District Court on Thursday afternoon. He told the judge his attorneys were supposed to be at the hearing.

A few minutes later, the judge learned those lawyers were not retained. It left Geiger confused, and he ultimately requested a public defender after declining one at his initial appearance on Wednesday.

During the conversation, Geiger said, "I wouldn't kill my best friend." 

The judge quickly cut him off, reminding him that anything said in court could be used against him in a trial.    

Neighbors stunned on quiet street

Neighbors in an otherwise quiet Baltimore County community are still in shock. Many neighbors called it a bizarre situation.

"It feels surreal because we do live in such a safe neighborhood," said neighbor Adam Schlenoff. "We've known them for a long time, and Pat was always just so kind and generous."

Others are breathing a sigh of relief that it was a targeted situation and not a random act. Stroup went to high school with the suspect.

"Nobody would expect that out of anybody," Stroup said. "He was a very nice guy. To hear that something like this happened is shocking."

Many remember Watson-Geiger for her love of pets and dogs, as well as her kindhearted nature, usually stopping to say hello to neighbors walking by.

"When we walked by there with our kid, both of them would be out. Their dog would always be on the front lawn, super nice, always said, hi," neighbor Brett Cook said.

Geiger is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center without bail, according to police. He is due back in court on Thursday.