New evidence released in husband’s murder of wife, after he faked her death

West Salem man concocted story that his wife
died in highway accident that didn’t add up to investigators.

After a West Salem woman was reported killed in a highway accident back in September, investigators spent time looking at evidence which didn’t add up. 

Three months after Barbara Kendhammer died, her husband Todd was arrested and charged with murder.

Now, some of the prosecution evidence is being released under open records laws, as La Crosse County prepares to try Todd Kendhammer. 

Among the evidence recently released were photos of injuries to Todd Kendhammer, which prosecutors believe resulted from fights between the husband and wife.

Original story:

A suspicious death in the West Salem area may have been caused by domestic abuse, and not by a large pipe falling from a truck. 

Barbara Kendhammer died on September 17, a day after her husband Todd reported she was badly injured in an accident on County Hwy. M in the town of Hamilton.

Todd Kendhammer claimed that a pipe had come off of a truck and gone through the windshield of the couple’s car, impaling his 46-year-old wife. 

Investigators looked into the case and tried recreating the accident, and were apparently unsuccessful.

An autopsy showed the woman died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries including lacerations in the back of her head, a broken nose, a skull fracture and lip contusions. 

A police report says there were inconsistencies in Kendhammer’s story, and video surveillance was unable to locate the truck the man described. 

Todd Kendhammer, who is also 46, was arrested and booked in the county jail. He’s been charged with murder after his court appearance Tuesday and bond is set at $250,000.

Todd Kendhammer is in jail on $250,000 bond after being charged today with the murder of his wife Barbara.