According to Oakland County jail records, Justin Wagenberg, 37, is charged with homicide of a family member. He was denied bond, records show.

Police allege that after the killing, Wagenberg fled the couple’s Waterford Township, Mich., home for Wisconsin, before eventually returning to allegedly confess to the crime.

“Well, on the way back, he said he found Christ or something over the last month, and so he decided to go back home and turn himself in, but he came home first and went to bed, for I don’t know how long, and then he called the police,” Dougherty’s father told WDIV.

Dougherty’s family says she worked as a hairdresser at three different assisted living communities in the Oakland County area.

“She always had a smile on her face, she was my niece, and I loved her,” Dougherty’s aunt Peggy Dahl said, per the outlet.

Katy Lynne Dougherty.Pixley Funeral Home

Katy Lynne Dougherty

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According to her obituary, Dougherty “lit up any room she came into. Her smile was infectious. She loved her family and Coco, her cat. She was funny, giving, giggly and witty.”

“She was truly loved because she was love!”

PEOPLE’s calls to the Waterford Township Police Department were not immediately returned and a motive in the alleged slaying remains unclear.

WDIV reports a judge ordered Wagenberg must undergo a competency exam.

It was unclear Friday if Wagenberg has retained an attorney to comment on his behalf or if he has entered a plea to the charge.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com