JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – A Jefferson County is charged with murder after deputies say he shot and killed his wife inside their home late Friday morning.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s probable cause statement, deputies were called to a home on Frontier Trail in Murphy, Missouri, located southwest of Fenton.

Investigators say a relative from out of state called 911 and warned that Kenneth Pautler, 73, had shot his wife, Karen.

Deputies arrived around 2:15 p.m. Friday. Kenneth met them at the door, cooperated, and led them to his wife’s body on the floor of their first-floor bedroom. He also showed them where he hid the gun.

During an interview with detectives, Pautler said he was exhausted from caring for his wife, who suffered from unspecified mental health issues, and that he didn’t want her to die in a nursing home. He told investigators he picked a specific cartridge for the firearm and chose his shot placement to kill his wife as quickly as possible.

Karen Paulter was 75.

According to investigators, Kenneth made multiple statements saying he no longer wants to live and would prefer to end his own life so he can be with his wife.

The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Pautler with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Pautler is being held at the Jefferson County Jail without bond.