80-year-old North Fort Myers man accused of killing wife

An 80-year-old North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife.

According to the Lee County arrest reports, on Sunday, at approximately 1:25 p.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a call from neighbors about a suicide threat on Kaidon Lane.

Before deputies arrived, it was relayed that someone had killed another person and was threatening to take his own life.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said through their investigation, they learned Richard Scharf intended to “put the victim out of suffering” and suffocated her while she was asleep.

Detectives learned the couple was going through financial and medical hardships.

Deputies responding to the scene found a man seated in the driver’s seat of a silver Honda SUV. Deputies detained him when he exited the SUV.

The man, later identified as Scharf, was transported to Cape Coral Hospital for treatment.

WINK News captured a video of a man on a stretcher who appeared to be Scharf in handcuffs, talking with deputies and paramedics before he was taken to Cape Coral Hospital for treatment.

At the home, deputies found a woman in the master bedroom, lying unresponsive on the bed. Deputies and EMS attempted life-saving measures.

At 2:02 p.m., the woman was pronounced deceased.

Once Scharf was medically released, he was transported to the Lee County Sheriff’s Headquarters building for an interview.

WINK News spoke with a neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous. She told us she’d never seen a police presence like this in her community.

“Our neighbor, who both of them are wonderful people. She looked good. I just seen her yesterday. She looked like a million bucks. She was walking my neighbor’s dog, and everybody’s just in shock,” said the neighbor.

During the investigation, detectives believe there was probable cause to arrest Scharf.

Scharf has been charged with second-degree murder.