Husband Kills Stroke-Crippled Wife, Then Commits Suicide

An elderly man, apparently frustrated over the obstinacy of his stroke-crippled wife, shot and killed her on the path in front of their apartment in Brea early Wednesday morning, then shot himself.

The man, identified by police as Walter John Prist, 73, died about 1 1/2 hours later in a hospital, police said. He had one bullet wound in his head and his wife Irene, 69, had two, the coroner’s office said.

Bill Howell, manager of the Birchwood Village apartment complex where the couple lived, said he had known them since they moved in 10 years ago.

“She had a stroke a couple years ago, and she’s never been right since,� Howell said. “He had her in a rest home for a few days--that was maybe three months ago--and she got better, so he brought her back home.

“She was doing fine until the past few days. He talked to all of us about that (her obstinacies), because of the fact that, you know, it really upset him when she got that way.�

He said the couple would go to restaurants but when the food was brought, Mrs. Prist would refuse to eat. Howell said that happened Tuesday when the couple went out to celebrate the husband’s birthday.

“One time he told me, ‘Now I know why these old people kill each other,’ � Howell said.

Larry Hall, a resident and maintenance worker at the apartment complex, said he saw the couple at about 5:30 a.m. just before the shooting. They were outside the women’s lavatory at the apartment complex swimming pool. The husband brought his wife there every morning for a shower because she was unable to get into their apartment tub, Howard said.

“He was just getting ready to take her in, and she just said she didn’t want to go in,� Hall said. “Last Thursday she kind of had a spell or a relapse and just kind of turned against him, refused to eat. She hadn’t eaten for two days. She just didn’t want him to do anything for her.

“She just yelled at him a few times, and he finally says, ‘OK, to hell with you! I’ll take you home.’

“He took her home and five minutes later, we heard the shots go off.�

Residents found both lying on the path and lawn that separated two of the apartment buildings.

Near them was Prist’s .38-caliber revolver, police said. Howard said Walter Prist had bought the gun for protection during the recent Night Stalker scare.

“I heard the police arrive and looked out my bedroom window, and when I saw where they parked, I thought: ‘Don’t tell me that Wally . . .’ � Howard said, letting the sentence trail off.