The 28-year-old victim, who earlier this month obtained a temporary restraining order against her husband, was found dead Wednesday in the apartment they evidently had shared for the past few days, Pierce County sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer said.

James Kevin Pitts, 31, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, turned himself in at nearby Fort Lewis. Army officials turned him over to the county, and he was booked into the county jail late Wednesday for investigation of murder, jail records show.

The county Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday identified the victim as Tara Pitts. An autopsy was scheduled Thursday to determine the cause of death. Troyer said there was no indication Pitts had been shot or stabbed.

James Pitts, who operated heavy equipment for the 555th Combat Engineer Group based at Fort Lewis, apparently had an affair while in Iraq and his wife reported that to his unit commander and turned over letters from the other woman, his brother Joshua Pitts said.

"He's been a totally changed person. Obviously it (Iraq) did something to him," Joshua Pitts told The Associated Press from his Sheffield Lake home on Thursday.

Pitts flew back to Ohio for four days last week, and his brother said he feared the worst.

"I think he had this planned. He just wanted to say goodbye to us," Joshua Pitts said.

The soldier called his family on Wednesday to say he had killed his wife, his brother said.

Troyer said Pitts apparently went to a bowling alley on the Army post, "called a third party and made a statement about the homicide." That person told Army officials and Pitts was taken into custody by military police.

The couple's 9-year-old son was picked up from school and taken into protective custody until he could be reunited with relatives, Troyer said.

The 555th returned to Fort Lewis in March after nearly a year in Iraq and was feted with a welcome home ceremony Tuesday.

Troyer said that on April 10, Tara Pitts told authorities her husband had pushed her and threatened to kill her. She completed a report and said the military was aware of the problem.

Two days later she obtained a temporary restraining order in Superior Court at the urging of sheriff's deputies. A court hearing to determine whether to make the order permanent had been set for Friday.

James Pitts apparently went home to Sheffield Lake but left again Sunday, Troyer said.

"Evidently in the last few days he came back, they reconciled and had been in the apartment, but she never called the cops to say he was back," Troyer said.