Health Issues Cited In Deaths Of Elderly Couple

"EAST BERLIN, PA — An elderly Washington Township man fatally shot his wife of 65 years as she lay in their bed, then turned the gun on himself, police said.

"The murder/suicide happened sometime Tuesday at a home in the 200 block of Bermudian Church Road, York County Chief Deputy Coroner Claude Stabley said.

"Jeanette Brown, 84, suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, Stabley said.

"Her husband, 85-year-old Sherman Brown, then sat in a bedroom chair and shot himself in the head, according to Stabley.

"State police said they were called to the home at 9:12 p.m. Tuesday by the couple's son, who went there to check on them.

"Sherman Brown did not leave a note, according to Stabley, who said Jeanette Brown had health issues.

"`(Her husband) was one of the caregivers for her,` he said.

"There was a recent change in her health that exacerbated her condition, Stabley said.

"She was suffering from terminal cancer and her health was significantly deteriorating, according to Trooper Rob Hicks, a state police spokesman.

"Jeanette Brown was sleeping when she was shot, Hicks said.

"Sherman Brown used a .22-caliber rifle to kill his wife and himself, police said."

From yorkdispatch.com...