90-year-old man jailed for killing wife, 89

WASHINGTON - A 90-year-old man in the US has been sentenced to a prison term for brutally slaying his wife, 89. He struck his wife of 68 years about 30 times on the head and arms.

John H. Bunz was sentenced to 17 and a half years’ prison term for his “violent and vicious” killing of his wife Virginia, Buffalo News reported Thursday.

“I’m extremely sorry about what happened,” Bunz told State Supreme Court Justice Russell P. Buscaglia. The judge also ordered five years of “post-release supervision” by the courts.

Bunz, who is a retired chemist technician, pleaded guilty July 14 to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter for bludgeoning Virginia March 21, the media report said.

The nonagenarian killed his wife in their flat in the Amberleigh Retirement Community on Maple Road in Amherst.

A relative found Virginia’s body and a wounded Bunz who had apparently attempted to commit suicide.

Prosecutor Paul F. Bonanno referred to “the extremely violent nature” of the attack in which Virginia was hit about 30 times on the head and arms “as she attempted to defend herself”.

David C. Steinhilber, the defence attorney, told the court the apparent murder-suicide was “a horrible, tragic anomaly”.

Steinhilber said the killing “will forever” define Bunz, who was otherwise a good man, husband and father.