Wife of ex-congressman's brother dies

The sister-in-law of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson has died after suffering a severe head injury at her home.

John Gagliano, investigator for the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office, says Sandra Peters Jefferson died early Saturday at the Interim LSU Public Hospital. She was hospitalized there Friday with an unspecified head trauma.

Police initially reported Jefferson as a gunshot victim. But Superintendent Ronal Serpas said later he could not confirm the cause of her injury. Weapons were removed from the home she shares with her husband, Archie L. Jefferson, but Serpas didn't know whether any were involved with the injury.

Archie Jefferson, a younger brother of William Jefferson, has been questioned in the case.

Gagliano says Sandra Jefferson was pronounced dead at 1:30 a.m. He says an autopsy is pending.