'No Sign Of Trouble Before Suspected Murder-suicide'

An elderly man found hanging in his North Point flat on Saturday may have killed his unwell wife before committing suicide because he was worried that he could no longer take good care of her, police said on Sunday.

Officers said the couple had been married for over 60 years, and described them as having had a good relationship.

They said the husband, 83, had taken care of his 85-year-old wife over the past decade after she was diagnosed with a long-term illness.

However, detective chief inspector Kong Sze-wan wouldn’t confirm reports that she had suffered from Parkinson’s disease – a progressive nervous system disorder.

She also told reporters that the husband himself fell ill at the end of 2020, and started experiencing mobility problems.

"The husband had revealed to others in the family that he was concerned he couldn't take care of her anymore," Kong said.

The couple’s son had taken time off to move back in with his parents to help take care of them in light of their health.

Kong said he went out briefly on Saturday before returning to the Fort Street flat to find his father hanging by some curtain strings.

He quickly cut his father down using a kitchen knife, before checking on his mother.

He found her unresponsive on her bed, and called the authorities.

Both were certified dead at Ruttonjee Hospital a short while later.

“During the investigation, police discovered [a] bruise mark on the wife’s neck,” she said.

“No sign of fighting, struggling or blood stain was found at the scene. Apart from that, police discovered will notes written by the two deceased. Police is now conducting the investigations towards the direction as a case of murder and suicide.”

Kong said according to preliminary investigations, the family members of the deceased didn’t think anything was drastically wrong, and had therefore not sought any help as they assessed that the situation was ‘normal.’