Man Kneels Trembling in Front of Wife’s Grave Day after Release from Prison for Mercy Killing Her

• A British miner was imprisoned after he killed his terminally-ill wife.
• He claimed she begged him to take his life, and he wouldn't have done it otherwise.
• He was seen at his wife's grave almost two years after her death.

A 76-year-old man was released from prison on July 31, 2023, almost two years after he killed his wife. David Hunter, a British miner, explained that he took his wife Janice's life because she asked him to do it.

When Hunter first met Janice at a party, he swooned over her beauty. The couple met at a miner's party in Northumberland, unaware that they would spend the rest of their lives together.

In 1969 Hunter tied the knot with Janice, hoping they would live happily. They welcomed their daughter, Leslie, who grew up to become the first person in the family to attend university. Hunter worked hard to save enough money for her university expenses with his mining job.

After retiring, Hunter and Janice moved to Cyprus. They had spent time in the country as tourists before buying a house for themselves and moving there in 2001.

Everything was fine in the couple's life until Janice fell ill. In an interview, Hunter described his marriage as "perfect." While living with the love of his life, the man never thought he would one day kill her.

Why Did He Kill His Wife?

Janice and Hunter were happily living in their home in Cyprus before the doctors diagnosed Janice with blood cancer. Her life-threatening condition took a toll on her mental and physical health so much that she lost hope to live more.

According to Hunter, his wife "cried and begged" him to end her life, which was the only reason he killed her. He admitted that he could "never in a million years" take her life otherwise.

Hunter killed his wife in hopes of easing her pain and tried to end his life soon after she died. He overdosed himself, but the first responders arrived on time and saved him from dying.

"For five or six weeks before she died, she was asking me to help her. She was asking me more every day," Hunter recalled. He added that Janice couldn't take care of herself during the last days of her life.

Hunter was sentenced to two years in prison after killing his beloved wife in December 2021. However, he was released after only 19 months and was reunited with his daughter.

What Happened after Her Death?

Janice was buried near her home in Cyprus, but Hunter never got a chance to visit her grave because he was in the hospital after his suicide attempt. Only after he was released from jail did he visit his late wife's grave.

Despite the gravity of his actions, the court allowed him to go based on his behavior while in prison. The following morning, he walked into the graveyard holding a bouquet of fresh flowers for his beloved wife.

"I've wanted to visit the grave for a while, but of course, I felt apprehensive – I knew I would be," he said. However, he felt relieved knowing Janice was resting in peace but also felt hurt that she wasn't there with him anymore.

Hunter knelt by her grave and was seen shaking while sitting next to his late wife's tombstone. It was an emotional experience for him to see his wife's grave 19 months after her tragic demise.

Click here to read another story about a man who mourned the death of his pregnant wife, saying she "left behind the most beautiful gift" of their baby's life.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org