A haunting message was found in the purse of an 82-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting her husband in a nursing home.
Harriet Kay Recker was arrested on September 12 after she allegedly shot and killed her partner, Dennis Recker, at the Preston Health Center in South Carolina.
The violent incident took place just one day after the 81-year-old man was admitted for medical care, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office disclosed to WTOC.
Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting at around 10:30AM.
According to court testimony and local reports, a neighbor had driven Harriet to the facility that morning. While showing the couple a room, the neighbor stepped out to retrieve an extra chair. Moments later, they heard a loud noise.
A staff member rushed into the room and allegedly saw Harriet holding a revolver while Dennis clutched his chest. Before he died, he reportedly uttered: “She shot me.” Despite life-saving efforts at the scene, Dennis succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators Discover Disturbing Note
During the investigation, deputies discovered a handwritten note in Harriet’s purse, identical to one they later found among financial documents in her home.
“To you all, this has just been too much for me, I so wish I could do it with the wonderful family we have, so many good friends,” the letter read. "We can’t have a life without someone and that someone can’t be me as I am not strong enough or smart enough to do all this."
Financial documents and interviews with witnesses and relatives further supported the investigators’ theory that the killing was calculated.
Community Reacts to Allegations
Harriet was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A judge found probable cause in the case, which has now been sent to a grand jury. She remains held without bail at the Beaufort County Jail.
The Preston Health Center, where the shooting took place, provides both short- and long-term care for patients with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other medical needs. Authorities have not disclosed the exact reason for Dennis’s admission.
Neighbors expressed disbelief at the accusations. Ted Dwemoh, a local pest control worker who serviced the Reckers’ Sun City home, described Harriet as “always loving” and “the nicest person in Sun City.”
Authorities say they are still piecing together the full circumstances surrounding Dennis’s death but the note found in Harriet’s purse may become central to the case.