James O’Neil, 83, was arrested by Palm Beach County Police in South Florida on charges of murdering his wife in 1987, which was certified as suicide, authorities said.
The man, who was arrested on Thursday on murder charges and released on Friday after paying a $ 50,000 bail, told police he was the one who accidentally fired his wife, Verna O’Neil, although 30 years ago That the woman committed suicide.
Verna O’Neil’s death on 23 July 1987 at the family home was due to a shot in the face, although local forensics at the time ruled that the way the 50-year-old woman died Was “indeterminate”.
That night, O’Neil told police that he had an argument with his wife for burning his dinner and for his excessive consumption of alcohol, and that the woman pulled out a pistol with intent to commit suicide, which gave way to a struggle Which culminated with an accidental shot that killed Verna’s life.
According to police documents, during all these years, Sharon McGee, daughter of the couple, was never happy with the story and in October of last year confronted his father, who told him another version of the story.
As O’Neil told his daughter, his wife showed him the gun and threatened to kill himself, but he managed to take it off and when his wife told him that he wanted to commit suicide, pointing the gun at her, he replied: “Let me show you How it is done “.
Then the gun was fired and the man assured his daughter that the shot was an “accident”. McGee came to the local police in February this year and told the story that his father told him and asked to keep secret.
According to the police report, in interrogations made this year, and contrary to what he said 30 years ago, James O’Neil confirmed that he managed to snatch the gun from his wife, that the gun went off and defended that the death of his Ex-wife was an accident.
O’Neil is kept under house arrest and wearing an electronic ankle brace.
