William Hager told authorities he shot his wife of 50 years, 78-year-old Carolyn Hager, in the head with a .32-caliber revolver while she was asleep.
According to the report, he put the gun down, drank coffee and then told family members what had occurred.
Deputies found out about the incident when they responded to Mr. Hager’s home the day of the shooting, after a report of a verbal disturbance.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Garry Wilson told the St. Lucie News Tribune Mr. Hager met law enforcement and said there was no disturbance and that he had shot his wife.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Wilson noted that Mr. Hager was concise and showed remorse in his interview with authorities.
“He talked about her medical condition, that she was in poor health,” Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Wilson told the St. Lucie News Tribune.
According to the report, detectives said Mr. Hager indicated he had contemplated shooting his wife for several days. Mr. Hager’s arrest report shows he told detectives his wife had expressed her desire to die, but she never asked him to kill her, the St. Lucie News Tribune reports.
Mr. Hager was arrested on a first-degree murder charge after the incident. Prior to the incident, he had no criminal history in Florida, according to the report, which cites information from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement records.
