Man pleads not guilty in hospital shooting

Associated Press

AKRON

A man pleaded not guilty Friday to shooting his wife of 45 years in a hospital intensive care unit in what may have been a mercy killing.

John Wise appeared before a judge via video from jail on several charges, including aggravated murder. Magistrate John Shoemaker reduced Wise’s bond from $1 million to $500,000 at the request of his attorney who said he was not a flight risk.

Wise was charged with shooting his wife in the ICU unit of Akron General Medical Center on Aug. 4. She died the next morning.

His case has raised questions about what kind of punishment prosecutors should pursue when a relative is suspected of killing a loved one to end their suffering.

A friend said Barbara Wise had been disabled by a stroke and that the couple had agreed they never wanted to become disabled in a nursing home. Wise’s attorney said his client had always acted toward his wife with love.