Mercy Killing? 84-year-old Mt. Laurel, NJ, Husband Charged With Wife’s Death

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina says an 84-year-old man has been charged with the death of his wife in what may have been a mercy killing.

Dan Mook of Mount Laurel has been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and fourth-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Coffina says Mook is accused of fatally stabbing his 82-year-old wife, Sharon Mook, and then turning the knife on himself, but he survived.

Authorities say an investigation began this past Sunday evening when officers from the Mount Laurel Police Department were called to an assisted living facility for a report of a stabbing.

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Once there, they found Dan Mook suffering from numerous self-inflicted cuts and stab wounds and Sharon Mook dead in their bedroom.

The preliminary investigation indicated the defendant killed his wife because she was in poor health and he was concerned that she was suffering.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.