An 80-year-old Alabama man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his wife, who had suffered for years from serious health problems, authorities said.
An 80-year-old Alabama man charged with the shooting death of his long-sick wife may have been overwhelmed by being her caregiver, authorities said Tuesday.
Gerald Adams was arrested Sunday at his Tuscaloosa County home after relatives called 911 to report a shooting, according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies found Donna Adams, 79, dead from a gunshot wound. Her husband was taken into custody and transported to the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where he was held on one charge of murder, according to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, which is staffed by deputies and Tuscaloosa police.
There was no sign of an argument before the shooting, authorities said.
“It was found that the victim had been suffering from numerous medical issues for an extended period of time,’’ said Capt. Jack Kennedy in a Tuesday statement. “Family reported that the suspect may have felt overwhelmed by being the victim’s caregiver.”
Adams had called his family and a friend Sunday and told them what happened, Kennedy said.
The elderly man was initially held without bail, but at a Monday court hearing, a judge released him on $75,000 bail, Kennedy told Inside Edition Digital on Tuesday. Adams declined to give a statement to investigators, authorities said.
His next court date has not been scheduled, according to the court clerk's office. The case is currently under review by the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney's Office.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the prosecutors' office, but has not heard back.
