Thurgau man appeals for reduced sentence for wife's murder
A 70-year-old man who shot his wife while she slept is seeking a reduction in his nine-year prison sentence. His lawyer argues for manslaughter rather than premeditated murder.
Thurgau man appeals for reduced sentence for wife's murder
A 70-year-old retiree appeared before the Thurgau High Court on Thursday seeking a substantial reduction in his sentence. He wants his nine-year prison term reduced to three years, with 20 months of that suspended on probation. The man shot his partner in the head twice in March 2024 whilst she lay sleeping in bed.
His defence lawyer argued before the judges that the act should be classified as manslaughter rather than murder with base motives. The mental state and emotional distress of his client should be weighted more heavily. According to the lawyer, "thinking and feeling were severely impaired" – a quotation from reporting in the Sarganserländer.
For years, the defendant had deceived his partner about their dire financial situation. On the day in question, court-ordered eviction of their shared house by a bailiff was imminent. In this hopeless situation, he claimed he wanted to spare the woman this fate, as he stated in the court record. He did not proceed with his plan to kill himself afterwards.
The Frauenfeld district court found him guilty of premeditated murder in June 2025 and imposed the nine-year prison sentence. The man filed an appeal against this verdict.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)