Thomas Jarboe, Bellevue retired University of Washington professor suffering from Parkinsons Disease & amnesia shoots dead his caretaker wife.
A retired University of Washington physics professor has confessed to shooting dead his wife and claiming acting in ‘self-defense’ as a result of ongoing emotional abuse.
Thomas Jarboe, 75, shot his wife Kay Saw, 63, at their Bellevue, Washington state, home in the early morning hours of Thursday according to a report.
Jarboe, who has advanced Parkinson’s disease and amnesia, was waiting for police on the porch to hand himself in as they responded to his 911 call, KOMO News reports.
He told officers that his wife was his caregiver but that he was angered as she hated his children.
‘It was on purpose but in self defense’, Jarboe told the 911 operator, stating that he had shot his wife with a 12-gauge shot gun.
Professor waited to turn himself into police
‘She has been abusing me, she is my caretaker, and is completely destroying me. She hates all my kids, my kids all hate her,’ he added.
It is not clear if the couple had children together or if they had children with previous partners.
Saw’s body was found inside their home on the 17100 block of 60th street at around 4.30am Thursday.
She has suffered two gunshot wounds.
‘The man came out of the house willingly and turned himself in to the officers,’ police spokesperson Meeghan Black said. ‘When they went inside, they found his wife deceased inside.’
Neighbors described the victim as a ‘hospitable person’.
‘She was very hospitable. Brought fruit over. Befriended my son,’ Mike Hopkins told KOMO News.
Frequent yelling
Yet he added that something had seemed off with the couple in the past year.
‘Often times yelling about medications. Not taking medications. Or altercations thereof,’ the neighbor added.
Jarboe had retired from the University of Washington last year where he worked as a professor of aeronautics and astronautics, an adjunct professor in physics, and a researcher with the University of Washington’s nuclear fusion experiment.
The University confirmed that the scientist had retained the title of professor emeritus when he retired which still allowed him to stay connected to the school.
He did not have any teaching assignments.
Jarboe was due to appear in court Friday but waved his right to his first hearing. A judge set his bail at $2.5million.
Rising incidence of domestic violence during COVID
He will remain in custody until his next court hearing later this month.
The motive for the crime is still unclear. Jarboe had no criminal history.
Saw’s death was the fifth domestic violence killing in Bellevue this year.
‘The three years prior to that, we had zero,’ police spokesperson Meeghan Black said. ‘So, this is extremely unusual.’
The city has also had a 28 percent increase in felony domestic violence assaults.
A local group that works to prevent domestic violence believes it may be as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
