An 81-year-old man from Lombard, Charles Witter, has been charged with first-degree murder for killing his wife, Helen Witter, who was 80 years old. The incident happened early Friday morning at their home on the 500 block of Clarendon Avenue.
During a court hearing on Saturday, a 911 call was played where Charles admitted to shooting his wife. He claimed he “went nuts” because Helen wouldn’t stop yelling and screaming at him.
However, Charles’s attorney, William Wolf, argued that Helen had dementia, which had been getting worse. Her condition allegedly caused her to become angry and violent, and her constant yelling caused Charles emotional and physical distress. Wolf emphasized that Charles deeply loved his wife, even after the tragic event.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Charles held in custody while awaiting trial. In a police body-camera video shown in court, Charles told officers that he shot Helen because he couldn’t get her to stop yelling, despite asking her to do so.
