An Ohio man convicted of fatally shooting his ailing wife in her hospital bed was sentenced Friday to six years in prison and plans to seek clemency from the governor.
John Wise, 68, has said he shot his debilitated wife out of love in August 2012 after she suffered aneurysms and appeared to be in pain at an Akron hospital. Mercy is not a defense to a murder charge in Ohio.
The sentence issued by Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands was in line with prosecutors’ recommendation that the Massillon man receive a lighter punishment than the minimum 23 years on his most serious conviction, an aggravated murder count.
Holding a cane and wearing a striped jail outfit, Wise remained seated during the hearing. He made a brief statement, choking up as he apologized to his family and his son. He also thanked the prosecutors and the court.
Prosecutors said the case warranted leniency, but they emphasized that Wise’s actions were illegal.
“It is not our intention to minimize what happened. You cannot bring a loaded gun into a hospital and shoot someone,” Summit County prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a statement after the sentencing.
In court, assistant prosecutor Brian LoPrinzi told the judge: “We believe that although his motive may have been pure, he was wrong.”
Wise’s attorney, Paul Adamson, said the defense will pursue clemency from the governor and create an online petition for supporters to sign. He called the shooting “an aberrational act” for Wise.
“I’ve never represented a finer man,” Adamson told the judge.
The prosecutor’s office said it would oppose any reduction in Wise’s punishment.
Wise also was convicted of aggravated murder with a firearm specification and murder, which could have led to a life sentence.
Barbara Wise, 65, was in the intensive care unit at Akron General Medical Center after suffering triple cerebral aneurysms that had left her unable to speak, a family friend has said.
A doctor testified that Barbara Wise wasn’t terminally ill and seemed to be responding to treatment.
About the Author
