CHATSWORTH MAN KILLS SICK FRIEND, SELF, POLICE SAY.Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer CHATSWORTH - A 43-year-old man fatally fa·tal·ly adv. 1. So as to cause death; mortally: fatally injured. 2. So as to result in disaster or ruin. 3. According to the decree of fate; inevitably. Adv. 1. shot his ailing live-in companion before killing himself in their Hanna Avenue home, police said Friday. Investigators identified the woman as Judy Bitting, 49, but withheld the identity of the man until his relatives could be notified. Bitting suffered from multiple sclerosis multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic, slowly progressive autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the protective myelin sheaths that surround the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord (a process called demyelination), resulting in damaged areas , and police believe the man shot her to relieve her suffering, but they aren't certain why he shot himself, said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police Detective Rick Swanston of the West Valley station. ``She was informed by her doctors she would have to go back in the hospital and apparently had been very despondent de·spon·dent adj. Feeling or expressing despondency; dejected. de·spon  dent·ly adv. ,'' Swanston
said.
Detectives found a suicide note A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. It is estimated that 12-20% of suicides are accompanied by a note.[1] However, incidence rates may depend on race, method of suicide, and cultural differences and may reach rates as high that they believe was written by him. Bitting had been first diagnosed with the progressively debilitating de·bil·i·tat·ing adj. Causing a loss of strength or energy. Debilitating Weakening, or reducing the strength of. Mentioned in: Stress Reduction illness about three years ago, but it recently got worse with several hospitalizations, and neighbors said she was confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to a wheelchair. ``She had some very severe bouts with MS that caused her to have difficulty breathing and she had to be transported to the hospital on more than one occasion, near death. It may be more related to that than the time of the year,'' Swanston said. Bitting's daughter discovered their bodies about 9 p.m. Thursday, police said. The couple was last seen alive about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Bitting's 27- year-old daughter, a Woodland Hills resident, had been calling her Thursday, but couldn't get through, so she went to the home with a friend Thursday night, Swanston said. Swanston noted that there is typically an increase in incidents like this around the holidays, but said this case appeared to be related more to her health than the time of year. ``Christmas and New Year's historically have resulted in an increased number of suicides, but specifically in this matter we don't have any information as to why they would do it at this time,'' Swanston said. Neighbors said they would often see the couple walking outside and they seemed pleasant. ``He would walk his dog in the neighborhood and she was in a wheelchair following him,'' said neighbor Bill Murdock, 42. ``They were very nice people, very friendly.'' |
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