NEW TAZEWELL — A New Tazewell man has been arrested and charged in the murder of his wife.

Claiborne County sheriff's deputies went to the home of Tony and Vickie Harrison at 145 Mariah Lane in New Tazewell at around 1:45 a.m. Thursday, July 9, after having received information about an incident at the home. They found the body of Vickie Harrison, age 42, covered up in a child's bedroom, dead from apparent strangulation.

Tony Eugene Harrison, age 39, of New Tazewell has been charged with criminal homicide for apparently strangling his wife to death Wednesday at their home.

The couple had been married for 20 years. According to Captain David Honeycutt, the couple was having marital problems which led to the homicide. There is no history of domestic violence.

Investigators believe Mrs. Harrison had been dead since 8 a.m. Wednesday. An autopsy was ordered.

According to a WATE-TV 6 report, the couple's two children, a 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old son, were asleep in another room. Their father later drove the children to their grandparents’ home in Kentucky.

Harrison turned himself in late Wednesday night. He showed up at the Claiborne County Justice Center and gave information to Officer Mike Satkowski concerning the murder and was booked into the Claiborne County Jail.

Mrs. Harrison was a realtor for Realty Group in Tazewell and also worked at Sears. Her husband is a factory worker.

The sheriff's department says Tony is cooperating with the investigation, which is being led by the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department. The TBI is assisting in the investigation.

Harrison is currently being held in the Claiborne County Jail without a bond. He was arraigned before Criminal Sessions Judge Robert Estep on Thursday, July 9, and is awaiting another court date set for July 16, 2009.

Some of the information for this article was obtained from WATE-TV 6