Khaberni - A tragic crime shook the city of Fremont in California, after a 93-year-old man was charged with premeditated murder for shooting his 86-year-old wife, following a marriage that lasted nearly six decades, as reported by the police and the public prosecutor.
According to the authorities, the accused, Richard Hocking, surrendered to the police immediately after the incident, having called the emergency service past midnight, admitting to shooting his wife and disclosing their location in a parking lot, approximately eight minutes by car from their home.
Upon police arrival at the scene, Hocking emerged from his car, while his wife "Patricia" was found seated in the front passenger seat, having succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, according to court records.
The authorities reported that the firearm believed to have been used in the crime was found on the driver's seat.
An official statement made by the accused to the police revealed that he believed his wife was suffering from severe health problems, and considered her killing "necessary". Court documents also disclosed that he had planned the crime for about a month, leaving his house with the victim knowing beforehand that he would kill her.
Before the incident, Richard Hocking led a life described as quiet and unnoticed, having moved to Fremont with his wife over 50 years ago, and had been living in a house on Drury Court since 1971. Neighbors described him as a kind and inspiring man, and affirmed that his relationship with his wife was based on love and harmony.
Neighbors and family members reported that the couple suffered from serious health issues. Hocking struggled with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and used a walker for mobility, while his wife was diabetic, and suffered severe pain from a knee fracture a year earlier, necessitating almost full-time care.
One of the neighbors confirmed that the husband had been taking full care of his wife recently, after she became unable to perform her daily tasks.
For her part, Lenore Hocking, the daughter aged 74, described the accusations as a major shock, considering the psychological and physical pressures her father faced caring for his sick wife, which might have driven him to his breaking point.
The daughter expressed her deep concern about her father's ability, who is 93 years old, to endure the conditions of being detained in prison, hoping for his transfer to a suitable care facility outside of prison during the trial.
Hocking appeared before a judge on Wednesday to respond to the charges, but the arraignment was postponed to the following week.
The public prosecutor decided to detain him without bail, after charging him with premeditated murder, alongside the deliberate use of a firearm.
He is scheduled to appear again in court next Tuesday.
