Man, 86, turns himself into police after shooting his 78-year-old wife to death in her sleep 'because she was sick and they couldn't afford medicine'
- William Hager, 86, shot his wife Carolyn, 78, Monday morning in Port St. Lucie, Florida
- He reported the murder to 911 five hours later, after making coffee and calling his daughters to tell them what happened
- Hager claimed that his wife was sick and that they couldn't afford medicine
- He also said she wanted to die, but that she didn't ask him to kill her
An 86-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot his wife in the head, saying she was ill and they couldn't afford medication.
Local media says William Hager was arrested Monday after he called the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say Hager led investigators to a bedroom where the body of his 78-year-old wife, Carolyn Hager, was on the bed covered in a blanket. She had a bullet wound to the head. He told them she had been ill but they couldn't afford medicine.
Scroll down for video
William Hager, 86, turned himself into police on Monday after shooting his 78-year-old wife Carolyn to death in her sleep. He told police that he killed his wife because she was sick and they couldn't afford medication
After shooting his wife dead Monday morning, Hager made coffee and called his daughters to tell them what happened. Five hours later, he turned himself into police
He told detectives he had been contemplating shooting her for days. He said she wanted to die but never asked him to kill her.
He woke up on Monday and grabbed a revolver from his nightstand. He then went into his wife's bedroom and shot her while she was still sleeping, around 7:30am.
Hager says he then made coffee and called his daughters to tell them what happened, before finally calling 911 around 12:50pm.
'I want to apologize I didn’t call earlier, I wanted to tell my kids what happened first,' detectives say Hager said.
Hager was being held without bail Tuesday. The public defender's office had no comment.
Most watched News videos
- Incredible drone footage of Charmouth Beach following the rockfall
- Brits 'trapped' in Dubai share horrible weather experience
- Crowd chants 'bring him out' outside church where stabber being held
- 'He paid the mob to whack her': Audio reveals OJ ordered wife's death
- Murder suspects dragged into cop van after 'burnt body' discovered
- Shocking scenes at Dubai airport after flood strands passengers
- English cargo ship captain accuses French of 'illegal trafficking'
- Chaos in Dubai morning after over year and half's worth of rain fell
- 'Inhumane' woman wheels CORPSE into bank to get loan 'signed off'
- Suella Braverman hits back as Brussels Mayor shuts down conference
- Shocking moment school volunteer upskirts a woman at Target
- Appalling moment student slaps woman teacher twice across the face