A former Whitehorse man has been arrested in Lamont County, Alta. and charged with murdering his wife.

Nels Magnuson, 65, was arrested last Tuesday, according to the Edmonton Journal, after police found his 63-year-old wife Colleen Magnuson shot dead in the couple's rural home.

Neighbours called police to report hearing gunshots at about 7:30 Tuesday evening, according to the article.

Two days later, an autopsy confirmed the woman died of a gunshot wound.

The couple have lived in the central Alberta community for the past 16 years, but are originally from Whitehorse.

They ran a hobby farm, keeping chickens and selling eggs, but recently got rid of all their livestock, according to the Journal.