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Authorities: Jekyll Island man killed his invalid wife, intended to kill himself afterward

Joseph Hilton

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. — 9:35 P.M. THURSDAY UPDATE: 

The general manager of the Villas by the Sea, Richard Doyle, said Joseph Hilton somehow got a suicide note to his sister.

Doyle said that cry for help is what kicked off Wednesday’s welfare check by police.

Over the years, Doyle had gotten to know the Hiltons.

“In the last couple of years, he developed health issues, as well, so it became more and more of a challenge for him to take care of her as well as himself,” Doyle said.

Doyle said he was right outside the door as the situation unfolded.

“I was speaking to Mr. Hilton and asking if things were OK,” Doyle said. “He says, ‘No, leave me alone.’  I said, ‘OK, is your wife all right?’  He said, ‘No.’  I said, ‘Does she need an ambulance?’  He said ‘No, she has died.’"

The GBI said it took a SWAT team to get Hilton out, and Doyle spoke with him before he was taken into custody.

“It was tough,” Doyle said.  “He just said ‘I wish it didn’t have to happen this way.”

For resources on aging and disabilities in Florida and Georgia there are several resource:

ORIGINAL STORY:

An 82-year-old man is in custody after authorities say he killed his invalid wife and intended to take his own life afterward.

Joseph Hilton is facing charges of felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault, according to a release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The Georgia State Patrol was called to the 1100 block of North Beach Drive on Jekyll Island on Wednesday for a welfare check.

The welfare check led to a brief standoff with the GSP SWAT team, and Joseph Hilton was then arrested, the release said.

After the standoff, Hilton's wife, 83-year-old Carol Hilton, was found dead in the home, and the GBI was called to assist in the death investigation.

Investigators found that Carol Hilton was killed prior to law enforcement intervention and that Joseph Hilton intended to take his own life after killing his wife, the release said.

An autopsy will be conducted on Carol Hilton's body, which will be sent to the GBI Crime Lab in Savannah.