Surprisingly Sympathetic Husband Jailed 6 Years After Mercy Killing His Wife

Mercy killing
Summit County Sheriff’s Department

One of my favorite songs from my childhood is a Reba McEntire  song called “Bobby” about a father who helps to euthanize his wife because she is in pain. At least that is the gist of the song, as I remember it. In Ohio, a man was recently charged for a something similar crime, and I am torn on how I feel about it.

A 68-year-old John Wise, from Ohio, was charged with  fatally shooting his sick wife in her hospital bed this past summer. He was sentenced this week to six years in prison by  Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands. His defense was that he performed a mercy killing, which isn’t permitted in Ohio. The minimum sentence is 23 years, but prosecutors are recommending a shorter sentence. While county prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh has called Wise’s actions illegal and dangerous, she has also said that the case warrants leniency.

Now, I am in no way condoning Wise’s actions. According to his wife’s doctors she wasn’t terminally ill and was responding ti treatment. But I do hope that this gut wrenching tale opens people’s eyes to at least the idea of euthanasia. I am a proponent of life, but I also support one’s dignity at the end, and this story sent chills up my spine.

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