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An Arizona man admitted to police he shot his wife over the weekend because he believed it would end years worth of her “pain and suffering,” according to court documents.
Michael Gelleny, 67, was arrested on Saturday evening at his home in Goodyear after calling the police, the day after he allegedly shot his wife.
In a post-arrest interview, the 67-year-old said his wife Brenda “had been in pain and suffering for over four years and he decided to end her life,” a plan he had been considering for weeks.
The morning of the killing, Gelleny said he loaded a gun before Brenda woke up.
When she woke up, he kissed her, told her he loved her and shot her in the head when she wasn’t looking as she walked down a hallway, according to the court documents, which were obtained by the Arizona Republic and other local outlets.
Gelleny then dragged her into a bedroom and mopped up a trail of blood, according to police.
On July 6, Gelleny, who told officers he considered killing himself, alerted police to the shooting and turned himself in instead.
He was arrested later that day and booked into Maricopa County jail on one count of first-degree murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
During a police search of the Arizona man’s home, officers found a note detailing the shooting and instructions to take care of Gelleny’s cat.
His bond has been set at $1m and his next court appearance is Friday, KTAR reports.
