Dustin Lee Klopp declared brain dead after hanging himself in his prison cell
Dustin Klopp hanged himself in his cell at Lancaster County Prison in Pennsylvania on Wednesday
A Pennsylvania man accused of killing his wife with an ax on Christmas Eve and sexually assaulting her was pronounced dead after a suicide attempt.
Dustin Lee Klopp, 36, hanged himself in his cell at Lancaster County Prison on Wednesday night.
The Paradise Township man was brought to the hospital and declared brain-dead because of lack of oxygen to the brain, according to the Lancaster County coroner's office.
Klopp was pronounced dead Friday.
Authorities believe Klopp killed his wife, Stephanie Kilhefner, 34, at their home after an argument.
They had been married for three years.
It is believed he cut her throat with a knife and repeatedly hit her in the head with an ax.
When Kilhefner was dead, Klopp put her body in a bag in a shed and tried to clean up the blood.
He brought their children, aged five and two, to celebrate the holiday with his parents and then called police to confess.
After placing the call, Klopp arrived at the state police barracks in Lancaster about an hour later.
Police believe he sexually assaulted his wife during the incident, although it is not clear if she was alive or dead at the time.
Klopp was charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and evidence-tampering.
The children did not see what happened, Lancaster Online reported.
Police say Klopp, 36 (left) murdered his wife of three years, Stephanie Kilhefner, 34, (right) on Christmas Eve
The killing happened at the Lancaster home (left) Klopp and Kilhefner (right) shared with their two children
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Share 26 sharesLancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman called the situation 'awful' and 'chilling', the Huffington Post reported.
He said: 'The timing makes it worse.
'Then you put kids in the mix and it makes it even more difficult.
'Christmas for them is ruined forever. It's just terrible.'
In 2009 Klopp was arrested on drug charges and served time before being released in 2011 and marrying Kilhefner.
Klopp's criminal record also included guilty pleas for DUI, resisting arrest, burglary and simple assault.
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