A man is accused of suffocating a woman to "put her out of suffering" at a home in the Herons Glen Gold and Country Club Community in North Fort Myers on Sunday.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a call at a home on Kaidon Lane, where a man was accused of taking the life of a woman and threatening to end his own.
Deputies say Richard Scharf, 80, was found sitting in his vehicle in the garage when they arrived.
After being asked to get out of the vehicle, Scharf was detained without incident.
Inside the home, deputies discovered an unresponsive woman in the bedroom, where both deputies and EMS were unable to save her life.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation, which revealed that both Scharf and the victim were struggling with severe medical and financial hardships.
Scharf reportedly suffocated the woman while she slept in an effort to "put her out of suffering."
Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, “The loss of life in this case is heartbreaking."
Scharf faces a charge of second-degree murder and is currently being held at the Lee County Jail.
If you or anyone you know is in need of help, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also visit 988lifeline.org .
