The death of a 65-year-old U.S. citizen who retired here two years ago took a turn for the sinister this week, when police decided foul play was involved and charged his Costa Rican wife with his murder.

Police arrested 36-year-old Johanna Rodríguez Dec. 10 in connection with the crime, nearly a week after Donald Leonard Durr was found unconscious – with severe head wounds – at 4 a.m. Dec. 4 on the side of the road in Balsa de Atenas, about an hour west of San José.

The Kansas native and retired engineer died at 10:30 a.m. the same day at Mexico Hospital in La Uruca, according to investigators with the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ). At the time of his death, police could not identify Durr because he was found without identification.

On Dec. 5, Rodríguez reported her husband missing, stating he had gone out late on Dec. 3 and never returned to the couple’s home in Residencia La Giralda in the western San José province of Alajuela.

Initially, police thought Durr may have been hit by a car or truck because of the condition and location of his body. They later discarded the hit-and-run theory for lack of evidence – such as tire marks or paint chips – and began to suspect foul play, according to investigator Juan Carlos Benavides of the OIJ delegation in Alajuela.

Based on information provided by witnesses at the scene, neighbors and friends, investigators pinpointed Rodríguez as their primary suspect in the accident-turned-murder case and tried unsuccessfully to contact her at her home several times, Benavides said.

After police finally located her at another number, Rodríguez showed up at the OIJ in Alajuela for questioning, accompanied by her attorney, Walter Chacón. At that point police felt there was enough evidence to charge her.

Two witnesses for the prosecution claimed to have seen a woman matching Rodríguez’ description beating someone over the head by the side of the road at about 4 a.m. Dec. 4, police said. One witness who was driving by the scene claims to have tried to pursue the woman, but said she drove off before he could locate her.

On Dec. 12, the witnesses identified Durr’s car as the one they saw at the scene. Police have confiscated Durr’s vehicle, but have not yet inspected it for evidence.

Benavides said a piece of fingernail had been found at the scene, as well as a bloodstained rock that could have been the murder weapon.

Police are also awaiting results of laboratory tests to determine whether Durr had been drugged with narcotics or alcohol before he was struck. Benavides said they think the killer acted alone, and that Durr might have been drugged to facilitate the crime.

Benavides said Rodríguez maintained her calm throughout the questioning, and as of Tuesday had not indicated whether she would admit to any of the accusations.

Contacted this week, Rodríguez’ attorney, Walter Chacón, said none of the proof concretely implicates his client. Chacón said he plans to subpoena two witnesses who were with Rodríguez at a bar in El Pueblo shopping center until 3 a.m. the morning of the murder.

He also noted that Rodríguez, about 5’5’’, is a small woman who would be unable to physically dominate a man of Durr’s stature. Durr stood over 6 feet and weighed 170-180 lbs.

"[Rodríguez] could not have done this," Chacón said. "She has no ties to any organization that could have done this."

She also had no motive to kill her husband, he said.

"Economically, she was taken care of. There were no problems as far as she knew with the marriage," said Chacón. He added that he believes Durr may have been assassinated by professional hit men, but offered no likely motive.

Yet numerous sources told The Tico Times this week that Durr had been planning to divorce Rodríguez.

Both neighbors here and family members in the U.S. said the couple did not have a happy marriage, and that Durr had stopped trusting her several months ago.

Durr was apparently a very giving and trusting man, but not entirely naive, relatives say.

"He knew when he met her that she was interested in his money, but he didn’t want to believe that was all she wanted," said Barbara Hutchinson, Durr’s sister-in-law and longtime confidante, speaking from Denver.

"Finally he had to face it, and that was when he began to arrange his affairs so she wouldn’t get anything," said Hutchinson.

Durr reportedly told people close to him that he was going to inform his wife Dec. 1 of his divorce plans. He also had spoken with an attorney affiliated with the Residents’ Association of Costa Rica, staff members of the association verified this week.

Rodríguez’ brother, William Rodríguez, said this week the supposed marital problems are news to him, and vehemently defended his sister’s innocence.

"I could never, ever imagine her having a role in this," he said. "It is just not like her."

Describing his relationship with Durr as that of "a father and son," William Rodríguez said the situation has been "incredibly painful" for his family.

"I don’t even have words for this type of pain. It’s like two enormous blows in the same moment," he said.

Durr and Rodríguez had no children together, but lived with her four children, aged 5 to 15, from a previous relationship.

The couple met here in February 1999, when Durr was visiting Costa Rica from of Denver, Colorado. At the time, Durr was recently widowed, and family members say he was feeling very lonely and was probably quite vulnerable at the time.

Durr had already cultivated a love for Costa Rica when he lived here in 1976-77. During that time, he was one of the leading engineers in construction of the Arenal hydroelectric dam in north-central Costa Rica, according to Swanson.

Durr met Rodríguez in a popular San José bar, and was immediately "smitten by her," said Hutchinson. The couple carried on a long-distance relationship for months, until he moved here in October 1999. They moved in together soon after and married in March 2000. It was Durr’s fourth marriage.

In August 2000, Durr custom-built the house in La Giralda where he, Rodríguez and her children lived until his death.

Durr was buried in the Alajuela cemetery Dec. 8 following a small memorial service. His relatives in the U.S., however, insist Durr wanted to be cremated, but that Rodríguez held the burial without notifying them.

William Rodríguez said his sister went ahead with the burial because she could not afford the cremation. While family members say they offered to help pay for it and feel the process was rushed, Rodríguez insisted his sister did not receive a timely confirmation that family members would help cover expenses.