Authorities in Florida say a 75-year-old man fatally shot himself while deputies were visiting his house to conduct a welfare check on his wife. In a hand-written suicide note, he said he had buried her in the backyard.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s department announced Wednesday that Laurence Caulfield admitted that he killed his wife, and that officials will be searching the yard for her body.
Deputies visited the home in Deltona, northeast of Orlando, Tuesday night after an out-of-state relative reported receiving a letter from Caulfield that said he was having a difficult time coping physically and emotionally as his wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
Caulfield included with the letter the couple’s will, life insurance policy and other financial documents, the sheriff’s department said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.