Jury Trial for Man Accused of Uxoricide Starts Tomorrow

SAN ANGELO, TX — A jury trial for the man accused of killing his wife, Santa Rita hairdresser Christie Feland, starts tomorrow morning.

Christopher Wise, accused of murdering San Angelo resident Christie Feland, is set to begin trial for Murder on October 21, 2024.

According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2022, just after 5:20 a.m., a call for service was initiated regarding a deceased individual on the 1200 block of West Avenue M. The call notes indicated that Christopher Wise stated that he found Christie Feland in an overflowing bathtub and not breathing.

An officer arrived at the residence around 5:30 a.m. and body cam footage showed Wise meeting the officer outside. He escorted her to the back bedroom, where Feland’s body was lying on the bed in a state of rigor mortis. Investigators observed that no life-saving measures were conducted, and it was apparent that Feland was dead.

The investigator was called to the scene to begin his investigation. He spoke with the responding officer who said Feland was dead and that Wise identified himself as Feland’s husband. She was positively identified by her driver’s license.

During the investigation, Feland had an observable injury to her left temple area, a small amount of bleeding from behind her left ear, a bruise above her left knee, and strange markings/bruising on the side of her left thigh.

Another investigator interviewed Wise, who said he and Feland had a verbal altercation over Wise’s Snapchat conversation with another woman. When the investigator went to observe the Snapchat, Wise advised that Feland had deleted the conversation. Then, Wise stated that Feland had burned physical property in the backyard of the residence.

Wise allegedly told investigators that on the night of the incident, he told Feland to sleep in the bedroom and he would sleep in the living room. Wise said that he fell asleep between midnight and 1 a.m. but woke up at 5 a.m. and found Feland in an overflowing bathtub.

Prior to calling 911, Wise drained the tub, pulled Feland out, and performed CPR.

Justice of the Peace Eddie Howard was contacted and ordered an autopsy to be conducted on Nov. 10, 2022.

Investigators were present during the autopsy, which was performed by a doctor with South Plains Forensic Pathology in Lubbock, Texas. There, the investigator was informed by a forensic pathologist that the manner of death was homicide. It was determined to be blunt force trauma from an assault.

At the time of the complaint, investigators were not able to determine what object Wise allegedly used to strike and assault Feland. Wise also allegedly made comments that he was the only other occupant inside the home during Feland’s death.

Wise was arrested on Nov. 22, 2022, and has been an inmate in the Tom Green County Jail since. He was first indicted on Jan. 20, 2023, which states that he intentionally caused the death of Christie Feland by striking her with an unknown object.

The July 2024 indictment states that Wise struck Feland with his hands, kicked, and struck her with an unknown object, and then placed her in the bathtub after she was incapable of removing herself. It also states in another paragraph that on July 17, 2017, in a San Juan County, New Mexico District Court, Wise was finally convicted of aggravated battery against a household member causing great bodily harm.

Wise was indicted over the summer and a jury trial is set for 9 a.m. on October 21, 2024, in Judge Jay Weatherby's District Court.