Calif. man accused of killing, cooking wife dies

SAN DIEGO A San Diego County man accused of killing his 73-year-old wife and then cooking her body parts has died of cancer while awaiting trial.

The district attorney's office announced Friday that 69-year-old Frederick Hengl of Oceanside died of prostate cancer Sept. 27 in the jail infirmary.

Hengl was arrested last November after neighbors complained of a foul odor coming from his home. Police found the head of his wife, Anna Faris, in a freezer and dismembered parts of her body cooking on a stove.

Hengl denied killing his wife, who reportedly suffered from Alzheimer's disease. The couple had been married 34 years.

His preliminary hearing was postponed recently because of his need for medical treatment. It had been set for Nov. 18.