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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 2:38 p.m. ET: An Ohio man accused of shooting his 65-year-old wife as she lay ill in a hospital intensive care unit could make his initial court appearance sometime this week after an autopsy is performed, The Associated Press reported.
Police say John Wise, 66, shot his wife while standing at her bedside Saturday evening in the neuroscience ICU at the General Medical Center. Barbara Wise was declared brain dead Sunday morning.
Deputy Chief for the Akron Prosecutors Office, Craig Morgan, told NBC News the attempted aggravated murder charge against Wise may be upgraded to murder because Barbara Wise was still alive when the charges were first filed.
"The circumstances have changed from the night the charges were filed until today," he said.
The incident may have been a mercy killing said Capt. Dan Zapelli of the Akron police Department.
“It seems to be slanting that way. He wanted to take away her suffering,” he said.
The AP reported Wise is under police guard in an undisclosed location and will soon be booked in the Summit County jail.
"He's been cooperative and forthcoming with the investigators," he said. "He's given a statement to the investigators. It's certainly helping to assist with their investigation."
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Jim Gosky, spokesperson for the medical center, told NBC News one shot was fired in the ICU room. Security officers responded and subdued Wise before police arrived.
Gosky could not give the reason for Barbara Wises’ admittance to the ICU or her length of stay, citing patient privacy laws.
The couple had been married 45 years.
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Leave a Comment:
Why didn't he just take her for a drive in the car? I thought cars kill more people than guns.
Retarded post, facts point to it being a mercy killing. Guns are tools by friend, the person behind the tool makes the decision to kill. With your mindset we could suggest that all computers be removed, since they are dangerous tools that developers use to create malicious code to steal private information, bring down companies infrastructure, or simply they have exploited your computers storage for their own purpose...
Am I horrible for thinking that was funny?
GimDan
Computers have also been used to kill people in mass. You should see the difference in an Abrams tank with and without computer guidance for it's main gun for instance. Of any of the military guidance systems for that matter. It is also all those ones and zeros being moved around that just caused this recession there never was any actual money. But on the other hand it was the MRI that showed the cancer my wife ALMOST died from. Can not do that with out a computer. All inanimate objects are just that, inanimate(not alive and not to blame). You are right, " the person behind the tool makes the decision" and THAT is where the responsibility lies.
Maybe he was concerned about the hospital bill?
sam, why don't you drive off a cliff instead of posting your normal drool?
This a sad story, he thought he was doing the right thing but will face some serious charges now. Hopefully all the facts are weighed to do the right thing.
It might have been an honor killing - was the guy a fundamentalist like a southern baptist, for example? Maybe she didn't submit properly as the bible says (maybe she wanted a divorce, for example), so he killed her. These honor killings happen almost every day in the news, although they are never called that b/c people are too worried about political correctness.
Bonos_rama, please take your hatred elsewhere. It's not welcome here.
Ya boner, Southern Baptists have the most honor killings attributed to any religious group.
What a dumb ass post.
I love your moniker - Sam Adams - like you have anything in common with Samuel Adams. Oh, but we are supposed to pretend that because you use his name your comments carry any weight.
your a complete idiot, bet you drink alot of what your name is "sam adams"
Since gun nuts think guns are the answer to everything wouldnt surprise me if this guy thought it would cure her cancer.
Well now, maybe it WAS an honor killing, as in to HONOR his wife's wishes to not lay around suffering. Story doesn't tell us what was going on, but there must have been considerable suffering for authorities to consider the possibility of "mercy killing" rather than "murder". God Bless the whole family.
LMAO@ Sam Adams! Great Post Bro!
"Why didn't he just take her for a drive in the car? I thought cars kill more people than guns."
A lot of folks easily amused today.
It's a shame. She is now gone and he is most likely going to jail.
It's sad. The poor guy probably felt like he was doing this out of love for his wife. They might have even made a promise of sorts to each other in the event something like that ever happened. What a terrible waste. The medical staff would have worked with him to make sure she did not suffer. Killing a loved one is NOT the answer though. I hope his sentence takes his compassion into account.
That is your moral opinion and is not fact. I would hope my family would have the courage and strength to end my suffering. The hospital would have kept her alive as long as possible, which could be years. So you have a woman that is brain dead, not alive to speak of, laws which disallow for mercy killing, and moral people that refuse to realize not every believes the same way they do. He may be going to jail, but at least he will be at peace with his wife not suffering. This is called sacrifice.
The hospital undoubtedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result. I am certain he will be prosecuted like a home invasion robber.
Everyone should have advance directives and this kind of thing need never happen. How tragic.
Where is the honor in shooting a sick individual in the head while being in the hospital.
The man just wanted to be rid of her and the hospital bills.
jussayin-
Arieus....how can you say something so horrible without any facts to support it? So sorry that is the way you think.
After 31 years of nursing and after seeing what my father had to go through while watching my mother, his wife of 59 years, die a slow death, I feel like I can "almost" understand it if he did it to take away her pain.
I do not agree with what he "allegedly", did, but I can empathize with the pain of watching someone you love so dearly, either die a slow death or be in pain that cannot be controlled. I feel very sorry for the family left behind now. They've lost this woman to her death and the husband to the legal system.
great post , GreenEyedLadyinTexas...........................
Rather than expressing understanding for this guy's act, why not post a comment in support of controlled euthanasia?
I can see where the authorities need to bring charges, but hopefully a jury will send the guy home.
GreenEyedLady
My first wife died (after 23 years of marriage), I was 42 she was 41. She had diabetes all her life and did take very good care of herself-there was a lot of pain and suffering. Now my second wife, of 9 years has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her chances are not good. Gotta be there. It is not just HIS WIFE'S pain. Although I do NOT agree with what Mr. Wise did I do know what was going on with him. I would give a lot if neither my wife nor I have to go through what they said is going to be the next "perhaps" year for us. But, like the first, I do believe in till death do we part and as her husband her life is partially my responsibility, her death is between her and God. However, because of what I have seen and been through if I was on the jury Mr. Wise would be aquitted of ALL charges.
The issue I have is him using the gun if it were a mercy killing. Did he want it to be blatant so it will seem more genuine vs poisoning her or putting an air bubble in her IV tube?
He was in a hospital, where there are oxygen tanks all around. He should have thought about this before shooting off a gun. He could have hurt more than himself and his wife and that is just selfish.
How lousy of a shot would he have to be hit an oxygen tank while standing over her?
If it was truly a mercy killing - hooray for him. It is amazing that we are allowed to treat our pets better than our human family members. We have the option to end their suffering but must continue to torture our species. Maybe we are the most advanced life form on the planet.
i will second that thinker. when a animal is suffering we can bring it in and have it put to sleep. but with people we just watch while they suffer...smartest animals on the planet? i think not.
@ thinker, I too have often thought that we often treat our pets better than our own species, as if life is so precious that it must be preserved and extended with every conceivable measure, despite the pain, the suffering, and the eventual futility. I'd rather take the point of view that death is a natural part of life. Many seem to be intent on trying to deny death, even when it is long past due. [Yes, there is no bright line, but at least some states, notably Oregon, have come to realize the line is present and can be defined in a way that is acceptable to most.]
happy 2008: because controlled euthanasia would most likely be gov ran, where as this was a man trying to take away his wifes pain. two completely different things.
Air bubble in the IV line? You have seen too many movies if you think that is an easy way to kill someone. I believe he simply used the tool that was available to him to end her life and her pain, without bothering about how it might be perceived by others
Simply put. I feel for the man. I wish he would be allowed to have put her to sleep - euthanize. I can promise you that if I get terminal with any pain, I am taking myself out. Now this man will likely spend some time in prison. I pray for a lenient jury.
We put dog and cats to sleep when they suffer...yet if you are a human you must die a painful death....BULL!
I understand what he did to keep is "LOVED ONE" from suffering. I hope when my time comes and if I'm suffering that there is a choice of the "painless Needle" for me. If not I hope someone puts me out of my missery too...bang bang.
Agreed, GreenEyedLady. I'm a retired RN of 30 years myself and have stood at that bedside many times with family members grieving and feeling impotent to do anything to help their loved one. You can almost read it on their faces the ones who contemplate doing what this guy did.
That's because there is no money to be made from keeping a dying pet alive and in pain for as long as possible, or for as long as insurance will continue paying for treatments.
I think he did what he thought he had to do out of love and empathy for his longtime wife.. I think he could probably do better than prove what he did was out of love
I don't think he should be charged with murder but maybe a lesser charge
...
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
If he would have waited a few more months, the death panels would have mandated termination.
...
Someone should do your mother a favor and administer a delayed abortion to save her the disapointment of having a wort for an offspring.
NNH,
get a grip, while i believe obamacare is extremely detrimental to the U.S. , that comment was absolutely asinine.
Why don't you folks get educated. Obamacare says nothing about death panels. Also, check out the countries where they have universal healthcare. None of them mandate termination at any point, although some may allow euthanasia under certain circumstances. Why prolong life if the patient is suffering unbearably and there is no hope of recovery. It is quite possible that the couple involved had made a pact. Although I'm scared of guns, this sounds like a mercy killing. If so, he's probably thought it through and considered the consequences.
It was nice of you to describe yourself.
Your tired, Fox talking point is incorrect. Currently, any rationing by our current healthcare system is done by the private insurers in the name of profits, CEO bonuses, and stockholder dividends. It also bankrupts sick people and their families so that they feel that killing a sick relative is an option.
Texas has had death panels for long time: since 1999, during JWB and then Perry's governance.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/24/3833274/texas-has-had-death-panels-since.html
Of course, it's Obama fault.
over the top and out right lie's There is no Death Panel.. This poor woman and her family along with her husband deserve some sympathy not political bull@!$%#.. Grow up.
The death panel is what is know as the board of doctors who will decide what common care procedures/meds will be administered to those who fall under the government care programs across the US. This basically mean if you are diagnosed with a form of cancer, they have already a treatment planned for you despite what is actually recommended. You take the treatment or else you pay out of pocket for the proper care/procedures that your private doctor recommends. Much like the NHS in GB, and the Canadian system. Cookie cutter care......
Sort of like they been doing for Medicare all along. They'll approve payment for generally tested and accepted medical therapies; they won't, for example pay for, let's say, transplanting of chimpanzee testicles as a cure for impotence.
If you decide you want to go to Mexico for Laetral therapy you gotta pay for that yourself.
So in a sense it is a death panel. If you decide to have some off-the-wall therapy thought up by a graduate of the Guadalupe School of Medicine and Storm Door company, they you're gonna die.
It's exactly the same as your own private health insurance company dies right now. Only they cover less.
GimDan, I worked in health insurance for over 13 years and what you describe is really no different than what the HMO's aka and the managed care model that evolved from the 80s. The only difference might be that very expensive and or experimental methods might totally be tossed out the window. I have Multiple Sclerosis. In a handbook I have from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. there are quite a few drugs that could be palliative , but , if you are not aware, there is not cure for this degenerative neurological disease. My point? None of my doctors will prescribe them, because of how this medical protocol has come into play and it has NOTHING to do with the Universal Health Care. For profits insurance companies have been playing the American public for fools. They take billions , find ways to limit coverage, our general well being, health and life expectancy is very low in the 1st world, yet they wave the banner high of we have the BEST.. What an incredible con game.
Nothing New - your ignorant post deserved to be collapsed.
You are very wrong nothing new here-1200374
What you just said is a new low to me and I have been around. I have been in 3 wars, been wounded and sent men to die. I have buried a wife, a son, two brothers, and both parents. I have been hard when needed and have much compassion for those that suffer but you my man, just said one of the most cruel and cold hearted things I have ever heard. I would love to sit on your panel-ASAP. I just hope the people of good reason, sense and conscience do the next best thing and ban you here. You are a disgrace.
for those who haven't been there, watching your love one in pain as they lay slowly dieing while being totally helpless is a tough road. it would have been absolute hell on him to pull that trigger. And how many on here have told someone they "wouldn't want to live if"?
Sorry for your loss Mr. Wise
Guns don't kill people, no siree! Maybe if a nurse had been packing heat she could have shot the guy first.
Hey Ed,
Someone should do your mother a favor and administer a delayed abortion to save her the disapointment of having a wort for an offspring.
ed, you and "sam" ( post 1) need go for a drive and discuss that............
I'm sure Mr Nice would like that...
Nope guns don't kill people.......... I guess abortion missed you, that's the real tragedy.
A person should be allowed the right to die. It's their life and if they want to end it should be their right. We will all be in the position someday, so we should all feel empathy.
My condolences to Mr. Wise and his family.
P.S. There are no death panels. Get your facts straight before you post.
I am all for it, so I thought. Untill a neighbor actually did the act. She was terminally ill, no prospects of improvement, and suffering. Her wish to die was submitted to the appropriate organization, after which she was evaluated by 2 independent doctors, and the day was set. Doctor came, she was surrounded by friends, and pronounced dead half an hour later, as she had wished. Nothing illegal (mind you, this was not in the US), nothing criminal, just to end her further suffering. Was it right? I am struggeling with it.
She apparently thought so. And in the end it was her decision to make, not yours.
You mean there are no official, approved, out in the open and publicly known death panels. If you honestly believe there are NO death panels then you are living in La La land or some where like it. We all do have the "right" to die it is the self will thing given to us. It is IMPOSSIBLE to convict anyone for a successful suicide (now you have to really think about that) just if you are unsuccessful. What NO one has a right to do is to take another innocent person's life (yes, I said INNOCENT) but people do it all the time. So...the courts get involved and consider each and every case based on its own merit, hopefully. Mr. Wise will probably get aquitted. But for him, or anyone else to just say, "She was suffering and I put her out of her misery, see you later". That is not going to happen, he is accountable for his actions, and he would be the first to admit that I am sure.
Like other people's lives, business, sins, her chosen death isn't yours to struggle with. She chose it, it doesn't matter what you think of it. Most people don't realize that their opinion matters only to themselves, what others choose to do is up to them.
Alice, everyone has the right to die. However, in this case it wasn't suicide, but reportedly a mercy killing. Which is a can or worms.
happy2008
Ever heard of the phrase, "None of your business".
Severed Head, F. Walsh, thepunisher, wait till you know what you are talking about.
I agree with you Alice. It is just too bad that the decision to die is not often left with us but rather our loved ones who are watching us die..
You can help them by having a living will or DNR etc..
And hope that the attending physician doesn't choose to ignore them. Some do.
Do we even know whether or not she was conscious?
If not, whe would have been unable, obviously, to make an end of life decision.
But, as the spouse, wouldn't he have been able to make such a decision as stopping treatment, 'pulling the plug', so to speak? Of course, I don't know if Ohio law has any different provisions. It seems like there is a lot more information needed here.
DNR/DNI are only effective if you enforce them. My mother carried one with her at all times for my father. It was his wish based on his condition. Near the end, my mother called EMS and they insisted on trying to intubate my dad and she refused to let them. They threatened to call the police if she tried to stop them. She told them that if they did she would have them arrested becasue she had the legal document that prohibited it.
the thinker-318752,
I'm sorry for what your mother went through, but I do have some questions:
Why did she call the EMS, and then tell them not to do their job? Were they suppose to stand around and be witnesses? If it was near the end, wouldn't a nice Perry Como on the stereo be better, with a cup of tea with the pain meds, and then a phone call to the funeral home afterwards? Or does that just happen that way here in Oregon?
As far as charges go, if we can't recognize love as a motivation- and temper our response accordingly- we are lost as a civilized race.
Good point - we now claim to be able to divine "hate" in a shooter's thoughts; why not love?
@Robert Warner - Crimes of passion, "honor" killings. There is your love motivation right there operating from a different angle. You wanna get all misty eyed about that also?
Thank you Robert
What a terrible time for this man, and the rest of his family. I'm sure his actions didn't come easily to him, and knowing he'd go to jail, possibly for the rest of his life, the love for his wife of 45 years out weighed thoughts of self protection.
Love hurts.
Funny how we call it "humane" to put down our sick pets and minimize the suffering, but it is not considered the "humane" thing to do for humans.
It didn't feel humane to put my dog down. I felt sick for days afterwards. Nonetheless, if in fact he did this to end her "suffering", a gun is a very poor choice.
the sad part is he thought that a gun was his only option. (or so it seems)
I have watched as family/friends have died tortuous deaths -cancer - the ravages of age, and have always been troubled by the hypocrasy of our treatment of pets in-re our loved ones.
I guess it could be argued that a pet is not 'worthy' of the time care and cost of maintaining their life.
I would have paid whatever it took to 'save' my pal but to no avail. At 40 I cried like a baby when I could not longer watch my dog of 20 years suffer in pain.
So sad......my thoughts and prayers to the whole family - all of them
This man is a real hero! That is a real love and devotion! The Christians are the devils on this planet. I understand why Nero was killing them, he just was trying to save the world from the hell.I wish Nero succeeded in killing them all.
"The Christians are the devils on this planet." Please take your hatred elsewhere, Cassandra. It's not welcome here.
Insecure, Cassandra? I feel sorry for you.
Cassandra, better take a double dose of Midol...wow, I think she has homicidal hormones...and she's probably descended from some of those "devil Christians". Oxymoron?
Do you really know how INSANE Nero was? He is some one you understand and wish to be successful? And do you want to be just like him? If so we should put a terror watch on you. Think about it.
Cassandra -- ewe, you are scary! Maybe spend some time working on making Cassandra less devil-like?
Dear Cassandra,
Try not being such a twat.
Love,
Yo momma
Cas, go back to your pencil renditions of hitler, musclewieny, and nerdo.
OOPS, it's 2:25, almost time for your med's.
The Journal reported that Wise is being charged with aggravated murder, but that police are consulting with officials about possibly changing the charges.
I wonder what they will change the charges to? I feel sorry for the entire Wise family. This is a very sad and heartbreaking situation....
Considering how obvious he made the crime, I can't see there being a money motivation to offing his wife.
If her health was deteriorating, wouldn't hospice care be an option? My grandfather had the right to refuse kidney dialysis and die from it. It took a while, and he suffered, but he had that choice.
Was she incapable of refusing treatment and legally he couldn't decide to end her hospitalization and suffering?
I made my wishes clear that if I am brain dead or terminally ill, that I would not want to suffer and linger. In WA state, we do have euthanasia under certain circumstances, but that had to be voted in by popular vote to just have that right. Getting it is still hard for the terminally ill.
We had a friend who made that choice, too. He was monitored for his pain, and it took less than a week for his death.
If I was suffering...in terrible pain and no cure or relief to be had, I would hope my husband would love me enough to do the same thing.
No one has the right to judge this man's actions unless they have been precisely in his "shoes". Our health care system is badly broken and will become even more so with 1 out of 4 younger people being morbidly obese, and with 35 million baby boomers (including myself) just now hitting the system, requiring more health care. Neither party can fix this, as our total approach to health care will need to change - taking at least 2 or 3 generations of health care reform. As for us older folks - perhaps down the road one of the most
"patriotic" things we will be able to do is to know when to "bow out" and have the courage to do so.
so I guess that's why the charges against him are getting upgraded.. Look I know people have tragedies in their lives.. but you can't just pump a bullet into a sick defenseless human being and the high cost of healthcare isn't an excuse either.. Where is the moral and ethical respect for human life if people can decide to just put another person down like a sick animal. Or did you just want to talk about health insurance? It's wrong to kill.
the down side is she went in to have her tonsils removed
I worked in health insurance for 13 years. We have had "Death panel" for years, but not in the way you think.
The evolution of managed care has severely limited the kind of drugs and treatment that Americans have received over the last 25 years. I have Multiple Sclerosis. There are currently drugs that could palliative for my condition but due to the model currently in place , this is not possible. Our quality of life, health and life expectancy is some of the lowest in the developed world, yet, we wave the flag about have the most advanced , cutting edge methods in the world HMO and the whole system waste billions by not addressing the key issue of keeping us healthy. There is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis, but, I might have a better quality of life it were not for this system. AND, it has NOTHING to due to any limitations placed by Universal Health Care.
Good point. In fact, perhaps she didn't have proper palliative care.
I still find it funny that it's ok to put our pets out of their misery but it's the worst thing in the world to want to put a loved one out of their misery. My gf was an ICU nurse for 10 years and said it was always sad to see people that were in so much pain yet there are only a few things you can do to help.
Why can't we help our loved ones pass away if that is what they want? Why is that so damn bad? Is it still because of the invisible man in the sky? Really? What happened to doing what they dying person want's? It's their life and if they can't live through the pain any longer, why is that such a bad thing to do?
I would hope that my wife would do the same for me were I to find myself in that condition. I honestly believe, at this point in my life (almost 60 and in reasonably good health) that were I to find I had a terminal and/or debilitating illness, I'd do it myself, but I'd do it outside somewhere where no one would have to clean up a mess.
I feel sorry for the poor lady's suffering, but what this man did was wrong. No one has the right to take an INNOCENT human life. If the lady was suffering, she needed better pain management, not a bullet in the head.
She was brain dead.
Fric, wasn't she brain dead after he shot her? It said she was shot on saturday, and brain dead on sunday. If she were brain dead, then why would he need to alleviate suffering?
This is so sad. It's obvious they loved one another. They managed to keep a marriage going for 45 years.....not too many can make this same claim.
Watching cancer take my mother for a period of 7 years, I seen her strong desire for life. She fought it with every fiber of her being. But she made it clear that if it got to the point that she needed to be on any type of life support, she wanted to go. The way she seen it, it was not the hospitals choice on when she would die. Nor was it the choice of her family. She didn't even think it was her choice. She felt that it was God's choice.
We're thankful that she did not suffer much in the end and come her last days, she went quick with her family around her. She raised 5 boys, practically on her own, and retired a police officer. She was nothing short of remarkable.
I love you Mom and I miss you dearly.
Sorry to hear about your loss, Fricsaid. Mothers are special people.
Thank you for your kind words Petercha. Peace to you and yours. :o)
Fricsaid - Losing ones mother is second only to ones child....God bless you and your mother.
Thank you Laurie.....your kindness is refreshing. God bless you and yours as well. :o)
Fricsaid, I am so very sorry for your loss. I can see, if you are an example of those 5 boys she raised almost on her very own, she was a wonderful Mom. A remarkable woman, indeed. Bless her, you, and your Family.
@IA - I agree. My mom went thru 2 months being in a coma and finally passed away after never waking up from originally going in to one. After about 2 wks she was brain dead. I wish we could have taken her off of everything and let her go peacefully. And.... Yes. I do mean peacefully. (I know there will be people out there that will post that it isn't peaceful, etc but scru you!! You didn't go thru what we did!!!)
Anyway, my condolences to him. This was the most difficult decision that he ever made and, in my opinion, the best. Let her rest in peace. I hope the justice system does the right thing here and lets him go home and be at peace with himself and the choice he made.
I thought the same thing about the life support, why not just un plug the dam thing.
To shoot someone even if it is out of love and empathy still is asserting a harsh (brutal even) deadly force. Turning off a machine, is simply passive by comparison. But turning off the machine could take more time than what he wanted to have his wife endure. Maybe it would have been too long for him to endure it either.
As for letting him go home, if they simply did that, how many others would fall into the "copy cat" mode and cite this case and have some legal precedence or leverage to back them up. No he needs to be found guilty, and probably get a reduced sentence.