US man kills wife in 'mercy' killing

An 88-year-old man with terminal cancer killed his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife, fearing she would be left without adequate care after his death, then shot himself twice but survived.

George Hastings was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was in critical condition today in an intensive-care unit.

Hastings called emergency services yesterday to report that he had shot his 84-year-old wife at their home. When police arrived, they found that he had also shot himself.

He said he had just weeks to live and feared no one would be able to take care of his wife.

"This is just a real sad case," said Jarrard Copeland of the Fort Smith Police Department. "Your heart goes out to both of them."