A 93-year-old California man is facing a murder charge after allegedly admitting to police that he planned the killing of his wife of 60 years as her health continued to decline.
According to the Fremont Police Department, Richard Hocking placed a 911 call shortly after midnight on Jan. 3, telling dispatchers that he had shot and killed his wife, Patricia, 86, and wanted to surrender. Officers responding to the call found Patricia dead from a gunshot wound inside the couple’s van.
Court documents detail statements Hocking allegedly made to investigators following his arrest. Police said Hocking told them his wife had been struggling with ongoing health issues and described the killing as “necessary.” Authorities allege he admitted to planning the act “for about a month.”
Investigators say Hocking convinced Patricia to get into their Ford Transit van and drove to a shopping center parking lot, where he fatally shot her in the head. Police noted that Hocking left their home that night “knowing that he was going to kill her.”
Neighbors who spoke with KGO described Patricia as suffering from diabetes and other serious medical conditions. One neighbor said she was “almost in [a] chair. Not able to do chores or anything. [Hocking] was taking care of her completely.”
Neighbors also said Hocking has “serious” health issues of his own, including COPD.
Hocking has been charged with murder, with an enhancement for use of a firearm. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail. His plea hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12.
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