81-year-old Alabama man charged with strangling wife to death and attempting suicide

TRUSSVILLE, Alabama (TCD) — Prosecutors have charged an 81-year-old man who allegedly strangled his 82-year-old wife to death last year.

On June 1, 2022, at around 1:30 a.m., John Harris allegedly called his son and said he planned to kill his wife and then himself inside their home on Brookstone Drive, Birmingham Real-Time News reports. The son allegedly called 911 to report what his father had told him.

Officers responded and reportedly heard a gunshot, but were unable to make contact with anyone inside the residence. The suspect, John Harris, is said to have barricaded himself inside.

Ertic Rush, Trussville Police Chief told the Trussville Tribune Harris’ son “was at the scene and we were hoping he could get his dad out of the house, but it got nowhere.”

Officers reportedly negotiated with Harris for about four hours, but he “just stopped communicating.”

At one point, officers from the Trussville Police Department reportedly broke two windows in the house and saw Harris inside.

He eventually left the house unarmed and was taken into custody. Harris allegedly shot himself in the face and was taken to a nearby hospital.

The Birmingham Real-Time News reports that officers found the victim, Jo Ann Henry Harris, dead of apparent suffocation and strangulation. Investigators believe Harris and his wife suffered from dementia.

Harris confessed to police that he killed his wife and planned to kill himself, according to WBRC-TV.

Harris was incarcerated in Jefferson County Jail for willful murder without bail, records show. His trial has not yet been scheduled.

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