Missouri – K. PautIer, a Missouri man, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after fatally shooting his wife, Karren. The County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed the charges, and the 73-year-old man is currently being held without bond in the county jail.
Deputies responded to the couple’s Missouri home around 2:18 p.m. after receiving a call from a relative who reported that the 73-year-old had shot his wife.
When the deputies arrived, he greeted them at the door, allowed them to enter, and directed them to the firearm used in the incident. Inside, authorities discovered the victim dead on the bedroom floor, with gunshot wounds to her lower back and upper arm.
During an interview with investigators, she stated that his wife had mental health issues, and that caring for her had left him overwhelmed and exhausted.
He stated that he did not want her to die in a nursing home and chose to end her life himself. He claimed to have used a specific firearm cartridge and targeted specific areas to ensure a quick and humane death.
According to the probable cause statement, the 73-year-old man had made numerous comments about not wanting to live and expressed a desire to commit suicide in order to be with his wife. There is currently no court date scheduled for his initial appearance.
A first-degree murder conviction in Missouri carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. The charge of armed criminal action is an unclassified felony punishable by at least three years in prison.
The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, with authorities collecting information and assessing the circumstances surrounding the case.
