An elderly woman is a suspect in the murder of her 92-year-old neighbor in a care home in France, according to reports.
Prosecutors said the 102-year-old woman, who has not been identified, allegedly confessed to one of her carers that she had “killed someone” at a home in Chézy-sur-Marne, northern France, reported BBC.
Woman of 102 suspected of care home murder in France https://t.co/dKEgWIAgbn
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 23, 2019
The suspect appeared to be “in a very agitated state, confused,” according to the AFP news agency. The female victim was found dead in a bed on May 18 and her face was covered with bruises.
According to a post-mortem examination, the cause of death was “strangulation and blows to the head,” the BBC reported.
The suspect is now being examined at a psychiatric hospital to determine whether she should be held criminally responsible for the alleged killing.
Woman aged 102 ‘confesses’ to murdering 92-year-old at a care home in France https://t.co/Hjz7TvUS84
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 23, 2019
In another case, a 92-year-old woman from Arizona allegedly murdered her 72-year-old son in 2018 because he was going to put her in a nursing home.
Anna Mae Blessing was living with her son and his girlfriend in Fountain Hills, a suburb northeast of Phoenix at the time of the incident. According to AZCentral, the couple wanted to move Blessing to an assisted living facility because the 92-year-old had “become difficult to live with.”
According to a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office report (pdf), the 92-year-old was thinking about what to do for several days after she learned about her son’s intentions.
Her decision was to confront her son about it. Blessing hid two pistols in the pockets of her robe and proceeded into the master bedroom where her son and his girlfriend were resting, according to court records (pdf).
92-Year-Old Woman Kills Son to Avoid Moving to Assisted Living https://t.co/INCgdllqkP
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) July 6, 2018
“You took my life, so I’m taking yours,” Blessing reportedly said as she shot her son twice, which struck his neck and jaw.
Her son’s girlfriend struggled with Blessing knocking the pistols from her hand. She then called authorities to report the crime.
Blessing was subsequently taken into custody. She told police she wanted to kill herself, but didn’t have another gun.
She was charged with one count of murder in the first degree, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of kidnapping.
According to Mental Health America, depression among adults aged 65 and over are quite prevalent with 2 million out of the 34 million Americans in the age group suffering from the mental health condition.
There is a strong likelihood that an elderly person has depression when other health problems are present such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
Holidays can bring on #depression. Family #caregivers should know about older relatives’ mental health. https://t.co/1U56SlOx5U
— CDCChronic (@CDCChronic) December 24, 2015
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that depression is not a normal part of aging and that older adults are at a higher risk of experiencing it.
It is not clear whether either of the elderly women has depression.
Epoch Times reporter Chris Jurasek contributed to this report.
