Man, 88, Stabbed Wife: Man Pleads Guilty To Stabbing 86-Year-Old Wife, May Only Get Probation

A man, 88, stabbed his wife, and then confessed to the murder. According to ABC News, Donald Rowland of Missouri pleaded guilty to first degree murder charges after stabbing his 86-year-old wife Betty to death. Police say that they received a call from the Rowland home back in October. One of the couple’s daughters called police when she found her parents laying in bed together, both injured with stab wounds.

No one knew what had happened at first, but Mr. Rowland explained everything. He said that he killed his wife, and then tried to kill himself in what would have been a murder-suicide. His reasons? He said that he didn’t want his kids to be burdened with him or with Betty, as they were both at advanced ages.

Rowland entered a guilty plea on Monday at Boone County Circuit Court.

The man, 88, who stabbed his wife was originally charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, but prosecutors reduced the charges to first-degree involuntary manslaughter in February. According to SportAct, Mr. Rowland is facing seven years in prison, but there is a chance that he won’t serve any time at all. Boone County Judge Kevin Crane is reportedly considering probation for Mr. Rowland. His sentencing is on April 13.

Some people feel for Mr. Rowland, and understand the choice that he felt he needed to make to keep his kids from feeling obligated to care for him and for Betty. Unfortunately he felt as though he didn’t have any other option, which may be the most heartbreaking part of this whole story.

It’s unknown if there was any kind of conversation between he and his kids about care for him and/or his wife. Many elderly people don’t want to have their kids feel trapped by them in any way. For this reason, many make their own arrangements to move into assisted living homes. For some reason, Mr. Rowland felt that his only option was to kill himself and his wife.

The 88-year-old man who stabbed his wife may never be able to live with himself knowing that he killed her. Of course it is presumed that the two still loved each other deeply. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, many couples of that generation have deep love and respect for each other. So often people have been reading stories about couples dying (of natural causes) within hours of one another.

Many hope that Mr. Rowland doesn’t attempt to take his own life if he is sentenced to probation.

[Photo courtesy of SportAct]