Ex-cop facing 30 years to life if convicted in wife’s death in Chester, judge says

On the night of Dec. 14, 2016, former cop James Baldwin knelt next to his wife’s body alongside a Chester County road, police say. Baldwin begged responding officers to do one thing, according to a police incident report from that night:

“Save my wife!”

Turns out, police and prosecutors now say, Baldwin had killed his wife, Judy, earlier that night then staged the crash to try to cover up the crime.

Baldwin, 58, a former police officer at the York Police Department, Columbia Police Department and dispatcher for the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, was indicted on a murder charge Tuesday by a grand jury for the beating death of his wife.

The indictment states Baldwin “inflicted or caused to be inflicted blunt force trauma” to his wife’s head, causing her death.

Family members had pushed for the case to be investigated since Judy Baldwin died and were aware he was indicted.

“It’s sad that my sister’s life ended in pain,” said Mary Ann McWaters Wilkes, sister of the victim.

Baldwin spent the night in jail Tuesday then appeared in court for the first time Wednesday afternoon. Baldwin said nothing except “Yes, sir” as Chester County Magistrate Judge Yale Zamore told him Wednesday that he was charged with murder.

“This charge carries from 30 years to life in prison if there is a conviction,” Zamore told Baldwin. “Do you understand?”

Baldwin told Zamore he understands.

Zamore denied Baldwin bond pending a trial.

Judy Baldwin, 53, was found dead beside the couple’s crashed car near a creek off Beltline Road in rural Chester County around 11 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2016, police incident reports show. The Chester County Coroner responded and pronounced Judy Baldwin dead on the scene.

James Baldwin said his wife was injured in a fall at the couple’s home while putting up Christmas ornaments earlier in the night, said Candice Lively, 6th Circuit deputy solicitor.

James Baldwin then told police the couple were in the car crash on the way to the hospital, Lively said.

Police investigated the incident for more than 18 months afterward, prosecutors said. Teams from the S.C. Highway Patrol major accident investigation team and State Law Enforcement Division agents delved into the case since Judy Baldwin’s death, Lively said.

Prosecutors then presented evidence Tuesday to a grand jury. Grand jurors spent almost an hour considering testimony from troopers and police officers, prosecutors said.

Randy Newman, 6th Circuit solicitor, said police worked diligently on the case.

“A thorough investigation was done, and we will do our part to ensure that justice is done in this case,” Newman said.

Baldwin worked at the York Police Department from 1992 to 1994, said Andy Robinson, York police chief.

Baldwin then was a police officer for the city of Columbia police department from 1994 to 1996. He then worked as a dispatcher for Chester County from 1998 to 2007, S.C. Criminal Justice Academy records show.

The murder arrest is the second felony accusation against Baldwin in less than a year. Baldwin was out on bond on an arson charge at the time he was arrested Tuesday on the accusation that he killed his wife.

In 2017, Baldwin was accused of burning down his roommate’s trailer in York County, then trying to defraud the insurance company after the June 2017 fire, according to York County Sheriff’s Office records and court documents. Baldwin was arrested months later by York County deputies. Those charges remain pending, court records show.

No trial date for the murder charge has been set for Baldwin.

This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Ex-cop facing 30 years to life if convicted in wife’s death in Chester, judge says."