Man says he killed wife to end her suffering

[superconnected]

Source: Komo TV news

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Gresham man who told police he fatally shot his wife to end her suffering - despite doctors finding no sign of a terminal illness - expressed sadness over the death Tuesday.

"I'm very sad my wife is gone," John L. Roberts told KATU News while walking into a Multnomah County courtroom for his arraignment on a murder charge.

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According to court documents filed by prosecutors, John Roberts told investigators he intentionally shot his wife in the head while she slept in bed because she was suffering from ALS, a terminal illness commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and wanted to die.

However, doctors who recently examined the woman found she did not have ALS and was not terminally ill. She was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and complained of pain and weakness in her hands and wrists, the court documents said.





Read more: http://www.komotv.com/news/local/15567212.html

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And that's the problme with "mercy" killings. Sometimes the person killing the person lies and says it's a mercy killing.

[pitohui]

1. so the people sick and in pain should stay that forever because of why again exactly?

this isn't a mercy killing, this is a crazy guy with a story who shot his wife

where in that story can you explain to me why it was ok to keep my relative alive on a machine without a brain for 20 fucking years? where in that story can you explain to me why it was ok to keep my friend's father alive for months in terrible pain while he screamed in agony and begged to die?

no one who advocates for death with dignity is in favor of creeps shooting their wives, that is completely bogus argument

[superconnected]

8. I think you're reading too much into it.

It appears to be your hostility that has blind sided you.

If there was at least proof she was in terminal pain it would be different, but still, unless he gets a recording of her saying she wants to die, how would anyone really know. It could be a relative tired of taking care of someone ill.

I've seen several articles now where people diagnosed with cancer significantly increase their odds of getting a divorce as soon as they're diagnosed.

[pitohui]

16. reading comprehension 101

apparently you didn't even read the article you posted

there was no mercy killing, the wife wasn't ill, she had carpal tunnel syndrome, the husband who killed her was a murderer and a liar

yes, i'm hostile towards liars, you're going to run into that a lot on DU

[superconnected]

23. Yeah I did read the article.

How about this one:

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_021108_news_gresham_husband_kills_wife_police.b0eed1f4.html

John Roberts' brother Greg, who testified in front of the grand jury Friday, said he was certain John shot Virginia, because she asked him to commit the mercy killing. Greg Roberts on Monday told KGW that "We told the truth about their devotion to each other. “We don’t know what to make of the indictment, a lot of its brand new to us and it’s very upsetting.”

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This incident happened quite a while ago and was even posted on DU when it happened. Many here supported the man at the time - for mercy killing.

[provis99]

13. but what if she did ask him to shoot her, even if she didn't have ALS?

Is that a mercy killing? What if he really thought she had ALS, even if she didn't? Is that a mercy killing? Whether the victim is sick or not is beside the point.

[pitohui]

18. oh please it is the entire point

if she asked him to shoot her even tho she wasn't ill, she probably had a treatable illness (depression) and a loving husband would have taken her to get treatment, he wouldn't have shot her

when you are dying in terrible pain, too immobilized to take your own steps to end the misery, then your husband doesn't have to take your word for it, the various doctors, machines, and the hospital bed with all the tubes will be his first clue
-- hell, the fact that you can't get up to wipe your own ass much less take a bottle of pills will be a pretty hefty clue

based on the story reported here, this man had no reason on god's green to think his wife needed shooting, he's an evil fuckwit

[cbayer]

2. My husband thinks I am insane because this is making me laugh out loud.

God, I hope he doesn't try to put me out of my misery.

[Steven_S]

14. As someone living with ALS...

I don't think this is very funny.

YMMV.

[cbayer]

17. I am sincerely sorry.

I did not mean to offend anyone and certainly not you. As I say below, I support a person's right to make a decision concerning their life if they have a terminal and irreversible disease. I was laughing at the absolutely ludicrous idea that this person had ALS and CTS confused. I will remove post if you would like.

[Steven_S]

21. Oh, hell no...

don't remove it - I agree with you on that. I also support a person's right to decide. And this guy is laughably stupid to think he could get away with what he did. I understand you now. :) :hug:

[cbayer]

22. And I hope you are holding up. Really bad disease, really bad. nt.

Happy Valentines!

[uppityperson]

25. Best wishes to you and anyone with ALS. May it progress slowly, and

hopes for health.

[Mojambo]

3. That's not a problem with mercy killings it's a problem with douchebag humans

That guy would have killed his wife whether he had (an easily disproven) mercy killing excuse or not.

[pitohui]

12. thank you mojambo

it's clear this case has NOTHING to do with mercy killings

[karlrschneider]

4. Without a sworn deposition from his former wife, he's probably fucked.

Actually he's probably fucked either way.

[cbayer]

5. BTW, I am an avid right to death advocate. nt.

[uppityperson]

6. It was CTS not ALS? Wonder why he thought ALS?

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing? Lying? An acronym is an acronym? Mentally ill?

Edited to add, this was not a mercy killing and had nothing to do with mercy killing.

[karlrschneider]

7. CTS? What's that, Can't Tolerate Sex.........?

:shrug:

[uppityperson]

9. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, what she had.

[karlrschneider]

19. Ah, okay.

...

[oregonjen]

10. Ummm, a little bit more to the story...

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_021108_news_gresham_husband_kills_wife_police.b0eed1f4.html

He lied about it being a mercy killing. He sounds like a sick fellow.

[Steven_S]

11. I read about this a few days ago in my ALS forum...

There's more to this story here:

http://www.lifenews.com/bio2327.html

Salem, OR (LifeNews.com) -- An Oregon man has killed his disabled wife in a test of the one-of-a-kind state law that allows assisted suicide there. John Roberts says his wife Virginia was afflicted with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease and he took her life to see if the state would allow him to get away with voluntary euthanasia, or so-called mercy killing.

Roberts' family says John's killing his wife was an act of compassion because she didn't yet qualify for an assisted suicide under the state's guidelines.

They say Virginia told John to take her life before he did the deed on Saturday.

"There is a story that makes this not just a murder," Greg Roberts, John Roberts' brother, told the Oregonian newspaper. "It is my firm belief that this was a pact between the two of them, that she asked him to do this."

"And part of the reason why they chose this method rather than going down the assisted suicide route was that she was so proud that she didn't want to let herself get into the condition she would need to be in before they'd be allowed," Greg Roberts added.


I would think Mr. Roberts is in a heap of trouble...

[pitohui]

20. but he made it all up, she didn't have ALS, she had carpal tunnel syndrome!

sorry, CTS is sooo not worth killing yourself over

[Steven_S]

24. It makes him double stupid...

To test the euthanasia law by killing her for something she didn't even have.

[nosmokes]

15. Mercy killing as a defense in Oregon iranks as a *STOOPID CRIMINAL*

nomination for sure. Medically assisted suicide is legal here.