NATION : Ailing Florida ‘Mercy Killer,’ 81, Freed; Says He Regrets Slaying
- Share via
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. — Roswell Gilbert walked out of a Florida prison a free man today and said he now regrets the 1985 “mercy killing” of his ailing wife.
The 81-year-old Gilbert, granted clemency because he suffers from heart and lung disease, was freed from the North Florida Reception Center after serving 5 1/2 years for the slaying.
Gilbert smiled broadly as he left the jail, but he expressed remorse over the killing of his wife, who had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
“I shouldn’t have killed my wife; now I know that,” he said. “I know the public at least understood what I did if they didn’t approve of it.”
He called the slaying an “act of desperation.”
He called Alzheimer’s “a horror, an absolute horror,” and said he believes that euthanasia should be legalized for some cases.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
A series of small-town dog killings was a prelude to the violence committed by one of California’s deadliest serial killers.
The stories behind the most compelling cases from the people who know them best.
From punchlines to policy, comedian Esteban Gast and Sammy Roth explore laughter as a powerful tool for change.
