Norfolk, Va. (WAVY) — A man accused of murdering his wife and setting his house on fire appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing. 

Monday’s hearing comes after his wife of 20 years, Kathleen Grangruth was found dead sitting in her living room chair back in April.

Delano Grangruth is charged with her murder — in addition to being accused of setting the house on fire. Delano has said Kathleen was suffering from dementia and was wheelchair bound. 

‘I’m not a monster’: Man charged in wife’s death speaks from jail

10 On Your Side dug into court records, which show Grangruth was charged with assaulting Kathleen three times in the past 12 years.  

In 2015, Kathleen was allegedly pushed multiple times and that Delano threatened to kill her and burn the house down if she called police. 

In Monday’s hearing, prosecutors laid out their case against Grangruth — bringing new details on what happened back in April when his wife died. 

The prosecution called on Norfolk homicide detective Willliam Cogswell to testify. 

The detective said when he arrived on scene and first walked into the house, he saw a female body badly burned in a chair. He said the fire was contained to the corner of the living room where the woman and the chair were. 

He testified that Grangruth, who reportedly waived his Miranda rights, confessed to killing his wife by dousing her with lawn mower gasoline and setting her on fire with a match the previous day. According to Detective Cogswell, Grangruth said he and his wife had been fighting over finances for three days prior to her murder. The day she died, Grangruth told the detective he had his first drink in four years and killed his wife in a drunken rage. 

Delano Grangruth’s case will now go before a grand jury.