Share and Follow
Inset left: Harriett Recker (Beaufort County Sheriff”s Office). Inset right: Dennis Recker (Altogether funeral services). Background: Preston Health Center in Hilton Head, S.C. (Google Maps).
An 82-year-old woman from South Carolina, Harriett Recker, has been granted bond to join her son in Hawaii after being accused of murdering her husband at an assisted living facility. The charges against her include murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, as documented in Beaufort County court records.
Harriett Recker had been in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center following her arrest for the incident that occurred on September 12. The court has now set her bond at $50,000, stipulating that she may only be released into her son’s care in Hawaii. This decision came on Friday, offering a new chapter in a case that has captured public attention.
The series of events leading to the charges began when Dennis Recker, aged 81, was admitted to the Preston Health Center at the Cypress in Hilton Head on September 11 for medical treatment. The following day, Harriett Recker was brought to the facility by a neighbor. Upon reaching her husband’s room, they noticed the absence of a chair.
While the neighbor went to find another chair, a commotion drew attention back to the room. A staff member reported seeing Harriett Recker holding a revolver, while Dennis Recker clutched his chest in shock, reportedly exclaiming, “She shot me.” This startling development has left many seeking answers as the legal process unfolds.
The third party went to retrieve another chair, but while exiting, they heard a loud noise. Rushing to the room, a staff member reportedly saw Harriett Recker holding a revolver and Dennis Recker “clutching his chest,” according to law enforcement. He appeared surprised, uttering, “She shot me.”
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting at the facility. When authorities arrived, they found that Dennis Recker had been shot. Harriett Recker was there too, “alongside her spouse,” as Law&Crime previously reported.
The victim was given emergency medical care at the facility, but he later succumbed to his injuries, deputies said.
During a court appearance last month, authorities outlined why they believed the shooting was premeditated.
Financial documents, as well as interviews with witnesses and family members, helped investigators form their theory — but it was the discovery of notes that may have been the breakthrough, the local TV station reported.
“To you all, this has just been too much for me; I so wish I could do it with the wonderful family we have, so many good friends,” Harriett Recker reportedly wrote. “He can’t have a life without someone, and that someone can’t be me as I am just not strong enough or smart enough to do all this.”
This note was in her purse, an identical one was at her home, and a similar one was sent to her neighbor, according to WTOC.
Law&Crime has reached out to Beaufort County officials to determine whether Harriett Recker’s son is also Dennis Recker’s son, or if this younger man is the child of a different man.