Mercy Killing: Man Shoots Wife With Dementia To Death

Posted by | November 6, 2014 19:19 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Top Stories


The Alameda, CA man is in jail after saying he shot his wife to death to end her suffering.

Neighbors are saying prayers for the loving couple that was once inseparable.  72-year old Joann Canfield was suffering from advanced dementia and had been hurting herself around the house.

Investigators say her husband J.C. Canfield, also 72 turned himself in and confessed to a mercy killing after apparently shooting Joann in the head before leaving roses next to her side.

“He told us that he decided to end his wife’s life to end her suffering.  He said it was something they had spoken about,” Alameda Police Sergeant Rick Bradley told KPIX 5.

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By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

32 responses to Mercy Killing: Man Shoots Wife With Dementia To Death

  1. tiredoftea November 6th, 2014 at 19:27

    This is incredibly sad. More and more of us will be facing this decision, I fear.

    • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 19:48

      Not me, if I get dementia I will party then stick an IV of single malt scotch in my arm and light a cigarette and die happy

      • tiredoftea November 6th, 2014 at 20:10

        Well, I’m actually hoping to get the four hour erection the viagra threatens and die happily at some strip club while completely spending my mini-fortune.

        • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 20:30

          making it rain….wink wink

      • Spirit of America November 6th, 2014 at 23:41

        Try, via mouth first, 18yo Laphroaig… it’ll make you happy enough to never think of suicide… :)

  2. tiredoftea November 6th, 2014 at 20:27

    This is incredibly sad. More and more of us will be facing this decision, I fear.

    • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 20:48

      Not me, if I get dementia I will party then stick an IV of single malt scotch in my arm and light a cigarette and die happy

      • tiredoftea November 6th, 2014 at 21:10

        Well, I’m actually hoping to get the four hour erection that viagra threatens and die happily at some strip club while completely spending my mini-fortune.

        • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 21:30

          making it rain….wink wink

      • Spirit of America November 7th, 2014 at 00:41

        Try, via mouth first, 18yo Laphroaig… it’ll make you happy enough to never think of suicide… :)

  3. StoneyCurtisll November 6th, 2014 at 19:30

    When is the USA going to come around and allow the dying and suffering to legally make the decision to end their own lives..On their own terms.

    • burqa November 6th, 2014 at 19:57

      When someone is suffering and deeply depressed and has suicidal thoughts, I don’t want the government letting them know the government supports a decision to kill themselves.
      If a terminally ill patient has the right to kill themselves, then doesn’t a sort of expectation follow that they should go ahead and do so in order to reduce their suffering and the burden on others?
      If they are in the hospital, hooked up to feeding tubes and machines keeping them alive, should the government help them express their “right” by sending in a government agent to unhook the machines?
      Or should the government merely encourage them to die from the sidelines?

      I have known a couple people who committed suicide.
      In neither case did I think about the legality or their “right,” nor was I pleased they had a “choice.” No, I felt awful that I was not there for them when they were in such a dark place that they decided to kill themselves. I didn’t see them acting out of any kind of freedom, no, it looked more like they were under such an assault from depression and gloom that they couldn’t resist any more.
      When it comes to the issue of suicide, I think our response as a society should not be to do anything or think in such a way as to increase death. We should not orient our society to where it urges someone in deep, dark despair to go ahead and pull the trigger.
      I think our response should be to support and build up those who are down and are suffering. We should be by their side, helping them in their fight rather than helping the thing they battle.

      • FrankenPC . November 6th, 2014 at 20:47

        Personally, I’m all for consistency. If the government is going to make it difficult to commit suicide, then they sure as hell better be doing what they can to make life bearable for everyone under the law. Full medical/mental health support. Support for impoverished people. Support for prenatal health. EVEN IF AN AMERICAN CAN’T AFFORD IT. You see what I’m saying? No suicide! But no safety or happiness either! Unless your rich of course. Hypocrisy.

        Also, saying people can’t commit suicide because god! is unbelievably lame. I’m not saying you are suggesting that. But that is the underlying conversation in America. “My god said you can’t do that!” Just terrible reasoning. Especially when we effortlessly put suffering animals out of their misery.

      • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 21:30

        This is about physical illness that can’t be stopped….mental issues are diffrent and just as sad….but a diffrent kind of illness.

        • Bunya November 7th, 2014 at 14:19

          Too true. My mother had cancer back in the early ’60’s. The hospital couldn’t do anything for her so they sent her home to suffer a cruel, extremely painful death. To keep a terminally ill, agonizing patient alive because of religious beliefs is unconscionable.

          • tracey marie November 7th, 2014 at 16:10

            That is absolutely horrible. How we allow our loved ones to suffer is beyond me, my mother was very ill but fortunatly she did not have pain.

      • StoneyCurtisll November 7th, 2014 at 18:38

        I was only refering to people with terminal illness, not psychological issues like depression or schizophrenia…
        I apologize if I were not more concise.

  4. StoneyCurtisll November 6th, 2014 at 20:30

    When is the USA going to come around and allow the dying and suffering to legally make the decision to end their own lives..On their own terms.

    • burqa November 6th, 2014 at 20:57

      When someone is suffering and deeply depressed and has suicidal thoughts, I don’t want the government letting them know the government supports a decision to kill themselves.
      If a terminally ill patient has the right to kill themselves, then doesn’t a sort of expectation follow that they should go ahead and do so in order to reduce their suffering and the burden on others?
      If they are in the hospital, hooked up to feeding tubes and machines keeping them alive, should the government help them express their “right” by sending in a government agent to unhook the machines?
      Or should the government merely encourage them to die from the sidelines?

      I have known a couple people who committed suicide.
      In neither case did I think about the legality or their “right,” nor was I pleased they had a “choice.” No, I felt awful that I was not there for them when they were in such a dark place that they decided to kill themselves. I didn’t see them acting out of any kind of freedom, no, it looked more like they were under such an assault from depression and gloom that they couldn’t resist any more.
      When it comes to the issue of suicide, I think our response as a society should not be to do anything or think in such a way as to increase death. We should not orient our society to where it urges someone in deep, dark despair to go ahead and pull the trigger.
      I think our response should be to support and build up those who are down and are suffering. We should be by their side, helping them in their fight rather than helping the thing they battle.

      • FrankenPC . November 6th, 2014 at 21:47

        Personally, I’m all for consistency. If the government is going to make it difficult to commit suicide, then they sure as hell better be doing what they can to make life bearable for everyone under the law. Full medical/mental health support. Support for impoverished people. Support for prenatal health. EVEN IF AN AMERICAN CAN’T AFFORD IT. You see what I’m saying? No suicide! But no safety or happiness either! Unless your rich of course. Hypocrisy.

        Also, saying people can’t commit suicide because god! is unbelievably lame. I’m not saying you are suggesting that. But that is the underlying conversation in America. “My god said you can’t do that!” Just terrible reasoning. Especially when we effortlessly put suffering animals out of their misery.

      • tracey marie November 6th, 2014 at 22:30

        This is about physical illness that can’t be stopped….mental issues are diffrent and just as sad….but a diffrent kind of illness.

        • Bunya November 7th, 2014 at 15:19

          Too true. My mother had cancer back in the early ’60’s. The hospital couldn’t do anything for her so they sent her home to suffer a cruel, extremely painful death. To keep a terminally ill, agonizing patient alive because of religious beliefs is unconscionable.

          • tracey marie November 7th, 2014 at 17:10

            That is absolutely horrible. How we allow our loved ones to suffer is beyond me, my mother was very ill but fortunatly she did not have pain.

      • StoneyCurtisll November 7th, 2014 at 19:38

        I was only refering to people with terminal illness, not psychological issues like depression or schizophrenia…
        I apologize if I were not more concise.

  5. burqa November 6th, 2014 at 19:33

    I hate stories like this.

  6. burqa November 6th, 2014 at 20:33

    I hate stories like this.

  7. Hass November 6th, 2014 at 20:46

    This is really sad because there are no winners in this. However I do support what Mr Canfield did for his wife. We don’t let animals suffer so why prolong the suffering of humans? It makes no sense.

  8. Hass November 6th, 2014 at 21:46

    This is really sad because there are no winners in this. However I do support what Mr Canfield did for his wife. We don’t let animals suffer so why prolong the suffering of humans? It makes no sense.

  9. searambler November 6th, 2014 at 23:01

    We treat our pets more humanely and compassionately than we do our terminally ill brethren. So sad…..

  10. searambler November 7th, 2014 at 00:01

    We treat our pets more humanely and compassionately than we do our terminally ill brethren. So sad…..

  11. Spirit of America November 7th, 2014 at 07:41

    If the story is correct, on the surface, this man has character, deep.

  12. Spirit of America November 7th, 2014 at 08:41

    If the story is correct, on the surface, this man has character, deep.

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