Man Who Killed Wife Over Coffee Pot Fight Gets 16 Years

BARRINGTON, IL — A 69-year-old Barrington man who fatally shot his wife after a "stupid argument" over a coffee pot being left on has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. Larry Lotz was convicted in August of second-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 14, 2016, shooting of his wife, Karen Lotz.

Lake County prosecutors said Lotz shot his wife after the two got into a fight. The fight, prosecutors said, was sparked after Karen Lotz began nagging her husband for leaving the coffee maker on. In a recorded interrogation, Lotz told Barrington police officers that he tried to hide from his wife in his office above the garage, but she followed him there and unlocked the door.

Prosecutors said Larry Lotz opened fire with a .45 caliber revolver, shooting four times and striking his wife three times in the head and torso.

According to authorities, Larry Lotz then called one of his sons, who told his father to dial 911. Lotz reportedly called 911, telling the dispatcher, "I just shot my wife. I just shot my wife. Please, send an ambulance."

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During Wednesday's sentencing, Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes referred to the crime as a "horrible examples of needless senseless, destructive violence," the Daily Herald reports. Defense attorney Robert Hauser argued Lotz, a Vietnam War veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was in a dissociative state when he shot at his wife.

The couple's twin sons said they both noticed a decline in their 69-year-old father's health in the months prior to the murder, adding that he became forgetful, paranoid and depressed, according to the Daily Herald. Some experts say Lotz could've been showing signs of early Alzheimer's. Lotz received treatment from Veterans Affairs and was hospitalized at a behavioral health facility and his symptoms seemed to improve, according to the article.

Larry Lotz expressed remorse during Wednesday's hearing stating that the loss of his wife has "left a hole in me that can't be filled. Half of me died with her that night," the Daily Herald reports.

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