FENTON — A St. Louis County man is accused of shooting his wife and killing her father when the older man tried to intervene.

Prosecutors on Friday charged James Kempf, 45, with second-degree murder, assault and two counts of armed criminal action. Police also identified the man killed as John Colter, 66, who remains on the loose.

The shooting happened Thursday in western St. Louis County. A probable cause statement said Kempf came into the home and shot his wife in the leg. Colter sought to intervene and was shot in the head, police said.

The woman was able to flee and called 911. Police did not disclose details about the severity of her injuries.

For several hours, officers believed the suspect was inside the home, prompting efforts to contact and negotiate with him.

But the probable cause statement released Friday said Kempf fled immediately after shooting Colter.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, citing county records, reported that Kempf and his wife were in the middle of a contentious divorce after 17 years of marriage. The newspaper said a judge in November granted her request for an order of protection that prohibited Kempf from coming within 500 feet of her.