An elderly man accused of murdering his wife in Wallaceburg will have a psychiatric assessment done over the next month.
The 94-year-old suspect is charged with second degree murder by Chatham-Kent police after officers found the body of his 89-year-old wife at an apartment unit on Margaret Avenue at approximately 3:30 a.m. on December 26, 2020. They were responding to a report of a sudden death and found the woman without any vital signs. Investigators said despite life-saving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Friday, defence lawyer Greg McGivern requested the assessment to determine if the accused is fit to stand trial and if he bears any criminal responsibility for the crime or has a mental disorder that would exempt him from responsibility.
McGivern asked the justice for the maximum allowable time to conduct the assessment "given the seriousness of the charge," which is 30 days. The accused will make his next appearance in Chatham court through video on March 1, 2021.
The accused can't be named because of a publication ban to protect the victim's identity. He remains behind bars at the Windsor jail.
