An 86-year-old man is behind bars after he shot and killed his wife of nearly 60 years, but authorities say it was likely desperation that drove him to take her life.
Police recieved a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. Monday. When deputies arrived at the Port St. Lucie, Florida, home they found 78-year-old Carolyn Hager lying on a bed with a single gunshot wound to her head and covered with a blanket.
Her husband, William, 86, apologized to authorities for not calling sooner and explained that after killing his wife, he went to the kitchen, drank some coffee and called his children to tell them what had happened.
Hager apparently could apparently no longer afford the medication his wife needed and could no longer bear to see her suffering. He also said she expressed wanting to die in the past, although she never expressly asked him to do the deed.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Carolyn had been ill for about 15 years.
“These stories you hear from quite many people, that hey actually decide whether they are going to pay the electric bill this month or buy the drug that may be keeping them alive,” said Andrew Passeri, Executive Director at Hands of St. Lucie County, who help people in need of medications not covered by their insurance.
Hager was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
[ WPTV ]
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