A man has been charged for murdering his wife in a Clinton nursing home.
Following a call to Woodlands Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center around 10:00 p.m. last night, officers with the Clinton PD arrested 70-year-old Thomas Ballenger for the murder of his wife, Rebecca.
Rebecca, 70, was a patient at the nursing home as she recovered from a stroke that she suffered a month ago, and she was found shot several times. Thomas and Rebecca had been married for 40 years, and Lieutenant Josh Frazier called the couple “each others shadows.”
The circumstances surrounding the murder had some asking if this was a type of “mercy killing”, but Frazier disputed that claim and said that this was a unique situation.
“I wouldn’t call it a mercy killing, but there are some indications that the victim made statements that she didn’t want to live like that,” he stated.
Frazier said that Thomas has expressed guilt for the crime and admitted to the shooting. He also stayed at the nursing home until police arrived last night and turned himself him.
“This is the saddest crime I’ve ever worked,” Frazier said.
Thomas will appear in court today and is currently being held without bond.