Two die by gunfire in New Scotland

Sheriff says murder-suicide prompted by medical worries

An 87-year-old man shot and killed his 75-year-old wife before killing himself early Monday in shootings that Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said appeared to have been motivated by the couple’s concern about their medical problems.

The gunfire happened in a home they shared at 51 Oak Hill Road.

“Sadly, at this point, it’s looking like one of those stories where they basically wanted to go together,” Apple said, “and he was in fear of losing her.

“It’s heartbreaking.” Authorities were awaiting autopsy results to determine the causes of death but Apple didn’t think it would lead investigators down a different path.

“We don’t expect to see anything shocking come out of that,” he said, adding that “everything seems to be pretty apparent about what happened.”

Deputies were called to the home to investigate the gunfire shortly after midnight.

The woman was already dead and the man was mortally wounded. He died later Monday morning at Albany Medical Center Hospital.

A few weeks earlier, the couple chartered a flight to return from their winter home

in Florida and a daughter had moved from another state to assist them with their medical care, the sheriff said.

Apple said he was not sure of the nature of the medical problems. The struggles, he said, were described to investigators by the couple’s family.

The sheriff said there was no sign of a struggle.

“It appears he shot her and then tried to take his own life,” Apple said.

A sheriff’s deputy’s patrol car remained parked at the end of the long driveway throughout the day Monday, but most of the evidence gathering seemed to be over by mid-morning.

Yellow crime scene police tape remained wrapped around two mail boxes sitting atop wood posts.

As of late Monday afternoon, authorities had not released the name of the two people.