A Crossville man charged with the first degree murder of his wife appeared in Cumberland County General Sessions court today. Officers say 33-year-old Rony Noe Ambrocio Cruz, original from Guatemala, was arrested earlier this month after Sante Ceciliar Mendez was found deceased in a wooded area off of Village Lane. A motive for the murder has not been released by authorities. In court this morning, Judge Larry Warner set a preliminary hearing for Cruz on August 27, 2020. Cruz is being held in jail under a quarter million dollar bond.