'I did this': Pensacola husband claims he shot his wife in the head in self-defense

Editors note: The health of the dog was changed to reflect its survival from the gunshot wound. The ECSO originally told media the dog died from its injuries.

The Pensacola man charged with the murder of his wife Wednesday had been separated from his spouse for roughly two weeks, an Escambia County Sheriff's Office report says.

Timothy Kramer, 51 , was charged with the first-degree premeditated murder of his wife Rosa and aggravated animal cruelty for allegedly shooting his dog in the mouth.

An arrest report states that Rosa Kramer went to their home on Hillcrest Avenue Tuesday "to pick up some of her belongings," but a person whose name is redacted told law enforcement she had never returned home.

"(Reporting person) advised she tried calling Rosa Kramer however her phone kept going to voicemail and she received automated text messages saying Rosa Kramer was unavailable," the ECSO report said.

When deputies went to the Hillcrest Avenue home, neighbors said they saw Timothy Kramer park his truck in the backyard, which they said was unusual, before Rosa Kramer appeared to pickup some of her belongings.

Deputies said, "It is reasonable to believe that Timothy Kramer attempted to conceal his vehicle behind the privacy fence in an effort to avoid Rosa Kramer from knowing he was present at the residence."

Milton police then located Timothy Kramer in Santa Rosa County along with another individual whose name is redacted in the report. The person told law enforcement that "Timothy Kramer had shot Rosa Kramer in the head at their house."

Once ECSO deputies obtained a search warrant for the home, they discovered Rosa Kramer dead from a gunshot wound to the head in a back bedroom.

"In the bedroom, I noticed a significant amount of blood on the flooring and surrounding areas, along with smeared blood and what appeared to be bloody footprints leading from the bedroom to the hallway," the report said.

Deputies also found a dog with a gunshot wound. The dog was transported to a veterinary hospital and recovered from its injuries.

Witness says Timothy Kramer lied about the shooting being self-defense

During an interview with the woman who was with Timothy Kramer when he was found in Milton, she said he confessed to shooting his wife in self-defense.

"She advised that Timothy Kramer called her at approximately 6 a.m. and confessed that he had shot Rosa Kramer and claimed it was in self-defense," the report said. "(Redacted) said she urged Timothy Kramer to contact law enforcement and explain the situation to avoid getting into trouble."

Timothy Kramer allegedly told the woman he had contacted the ECSO and allegedly said they finished the investigation, finding the shooting to be in self-defense.

The ECSO's investigation found Kramer "provided a fictitious story" which "lead her to believe he was not in any trouble regarding the incident."

In text messages found between Timothy Kramer and the unidentified person, Kramer states, "It is all good I did this it is on me."

Timothy Kramer faces up to life in prison

The Office of the State Attorney charged Timothy Kramer with first-degree premeditated murder and aggravated animal cruelty.

Florida law states that a first-degree murder charge is a capital felony, which forces a judge to levy a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison if the defendant is convicted.

The animal abuse charge is a third-degree felony punishable up to five years in prison.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 'I did this': Pensacola husband claims he shot his wife in the head in self-defense