Jimmy Harold Spurger Jr., 52-year-old Maria Teresa Spurger's husband of roughly 35 years, had been held since his arrest Nov. 7 on a warrant in connection with her killing, according to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

Dallas Fire-Rescue crews were called to an apartment in the 2323 block of North Akard Street around 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 6 for a welfare check, according to an arrest affidavit. After knocking went unanswered, emergency personnel forced entry and found furniture pushed against the door to block access.

Inside, first responders found Teresa Spurger, 52, unresponsive on a couch with a knife lodged in her neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers also found Jimmy Spurger sitting on a bed in the bedroom, covered in blood, with a small knife beside him, the affidavit states. Multiple empty pill bottles, also bloodied, were found in the kitchen. Spurger did not initially answer questions from first responders and was taken to Methodist Central Hospital after police suspected he had ingested multiple pills.

Court records show Spurger filed for divorce from his wife on Oct. 26, less than two weeks before her death. Investigators have not publicly identified a motive.

Spurger had led the public defender's office's Investigative Division for the past 11 months. Before that, he spent more than 13 years with the office, primarily in its Capital Murder Division, and had more than 20 years in law enforcement, including a decade supervising investigations in the Child Abuse and Family Violence Division for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Spurger has been suspended from his position.

Those who knew Teresa Spurger remembered her as a warm and generous presence. Rachana Ranjan, who met her years ago while working at a North Texas OBGYN practice, described her as "one of the most secure, confident, and loving humans" and "truly selfless."

"She just accepted me for being the goofy girl that would say the most random things on my visits," Ranjan said. "She was a gem."

Ranjan said Teresa spoke fondly of her husband and was devoted to her family. "I saw how she loved her husband. And her kids," she said. "For her family, her grandkids. There's so many lives that have been affected because of what happened here. That cannot be changed. And that's heartbreaking."

Detective C. Johnson is handling the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584 or email chanesia.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.