An 82-year-old woman who friends have described as “the nicest person in Sun City” is accused of murdering her husband inside a coastal South Carolina nursing home – a shooting investigators believe was planned.
Harriet Kay Recker, 82, shot and killed her 81-year-old husband, Dennis Recker, on September 12, at the Preston Health Center on Hilton Head Island, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. She is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Investigators say notes found in her purse, at her home, and sent to a neighbor, along with interviews and financial documents they reviewed, suggest the shooting was premeditated.
Just one day before the shooting, Dennis Recker was admitted to the facility because of health issues that required additional care, according to testimony in court reported by WTOC.
A neighbor who had driven the couple to the facility walked out of the room for a moment when a loud noise rang out. They ran back to find Harriet Recker holding a gun and her husband with a gunshot wound to his chest, police said.
Despite life-saving efforts, Dennis Recker died from his injuries. A witness told investigators that before he died, Dennis appeared shocked and said, “She shot me.”
Recker reportedly told investigators: “He was a good man,” and described the incident as “a sad situation.”
But during the investigation, authorities reportedly found a note in her purse about her declining health and emotional struggles. An identical note was later found at her home along with financial papers, and another version had been sent to her neighbor, WTOC reported.
Part of the note, which was read in court, stated: “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. 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.”
Recker was booked into the Beaufort County Jail that same day and is being held without bond.
Family members told deputies they had never known Recker to own or carry a gun. Others who knew the couple were stunned by the news.
Ted Dwemoh, who provided pest control services at the couple’s Sun City home, described Recker as the “nicest person in Sun City.”
“When I saw her picture, I was dumbfounded, like there is no way that this woman did what they are saying she did,” Dwemoh said.
“She would try and help you out with anything,” he added. “When you went to her house to do pest control, she would walk and talk with you, give you snacks and water. She’s the nicest person in Sun City.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
