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Background: The Perry, Iowa, neighborhood where Richard Hoesing lived with his late wife (Google Maps). Inset: Richard Hoesing (Dallas County Sheriff’s Office).
An Iowa man has allegedly told police that he killed his wife so he could end her suffering after years living with debilitating illnesses.
Richard Hoesing, 75, called 911 on the night of March 16 to report that he had killed his wife, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WHO, a local NBC affiliate. Officers from the Perry Police Department responded to the call and found Richard Hoesing at the residence. According to the complaint, they also found his wife, Jean Hoesing, 74, in the bedroom with a “severe laceration across the front of her throat.”
Local news outlet The Perry News also obtained the criminal complaint and reported that Richard Hoesing told dispatchers during his call that he had “killed [his wife] to put her out of her misery,” explaining that Jean Hoesing had “suffered from bi-polar condition and [multiple sclerosis].”
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According to the complaint, Richard Hoesing was cooperative with officers when they arrived at the scene. Police stated that he had blood on his hands and clothes, and a kitchen knife was found at the scene. Officers said that it had appeared that there was an attempt to clean the knife but blood was still present on the tip.
Richard Hoesing was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail where he is being held without bond. Court records show that he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 27.
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