Man killed wife after she had a stroke so she wouldn’t be a ‘burden,’ Arizona cops say

After his wife suffered a stroke, Jonathan David Conaway feared that she would be a “burden” to their children, police say.

So, the 45-year-old man from Phoenix, Arizona, used a wrench to knock his wife unconscious, police say, and then strangled her to death, according to The Arizona Republic.

Police say “he shined a light in her eyes to ensure she was dead before calling the police,” The Arizona Republic reported. He also confessed to the murder, records say.

The attack on Janice Conaway, 43, his wife of 14 years, is believed to have happened on Monday, police say, according to ABC15. Police allege that Jonathan Conaway, who was let go from his job two weeks before the murder, said he “felt like a failure” before the attack, ABC15 reported.

After killing his wife, Jonathan Conaway called the Phoenix Police Department and told officers that her dead body could be found in his home, court documents say, according to AZFamily. She died at the scene, police say, and her husband was taken for questioning, AZFamily reported.

Police say Jonathan Conaway confessed to the attack with a wrench and cloth belt, arguing that he “killed Janice so their boys did not have to take care of her and require them using a substantial amount of money,” records state reported The Arizona Republic.

He did it Monday, police say, so both he and Janice Conaway would be home but their two children would not be, according to 12News. Police said the children are between the ages of 9 and 14, AZFamily reported.

He is charged with first-degree murder, according to ABC15. He has a bond of $1 million.

Janice Conaway’s death was mourned by Paradise Valley Unified School District, where she worked as a campus assistant, 12News reported.

“PVSchools is deeply saddened to learn that Janice Conaway, a beloved campus assistant, has passed away,” the statement said, according to 12News. “Naturally, this loss within our community impacts our families, students, and staff. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.”

Philip Adams, a neighbor of the family, told AZFamily that the death must be “unimaginable” for the Conaways.

“They lose Mom, they lose Dad, nothing left and this happens the week before Christmas,” he told AZFamily. “It’s incredibly sad. Your heart goes out to the kids because ... Mom and Dad make their own choices, but kids didn’t make this choice.”