VENICE, FL- In a terribly sad case out of Florida, an 83-year-old man, believing he had no other choice, fatally shot his wife, who was suffering from a debilitating series of illnesses and who begged him for 45 minutes to stop her pain, Law & Crime reports.
Walter Edgerton III was charged with second-degree murder, according to police. Police did not identify the age of his wife, Sandra Edgerton.
A sworn statement of probable cause supporting his arrest said Edgerton called 911 around 8:30 p.m. last Wednesday reporting that his wife had died. He asked police to come to the home, saying “believe me she’s dead, no CPR is going to help her.”
On arrival, paramedics found Sandra in a reclining chair with a blanket over her head and upper body. When they removed the blanket, they found her suffering from a gunshot wound to the right side of her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Edgerton initially refused to speak with investigators without an attorney being present; however later waived his right to a lawyer and spoke to them at the police station.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Edgerton told police that “after the victim begged for her pain to stop for 45 minutes, he placed a .22-caliber revolver against the right side of her head and pulled the trigger while rubbing her head with his other hand,” the affidavit said.
Police said that Edgerton told them his wife was recently hospitalized after he found her vomiting blood. She had surgery for a bleeding ulcer and “developed breathing problems and constant suffering.” She had been diagnosed with Lyme disease nearly 30 years ago and had been suffering from “chronic illness” ever since.
Walter Edgerton III was arrested and booked into the Sarasota County Jail where he is being held without bond.
He is scheduled for a bond hearing on Oct. 16. He has been granted a public defender and has pleaded not guilty.
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