Thomas Dowler, 81, shot his 76-year-old wife dead in an assisted living facility in January because he couldn’t bear to see her struggling to walk and stand on her own, according to a newly released note obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and published Tuesday. Police said Dowler entered the facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, and shot Susan Dowler around 9 a.m. before turning the gun on himself. A search of his home, where Susan had lived before she moved to the facility a month prior, found that he’d left a 61-word note on an Office Depot legal pad. “It’s become obvious to me that Susan will never walk again or be able to stand on her own,” he wrote. “I can’t stand to see her like this.” He added that it was “time to move on” and that he needed to act on his own, without anyone knowing. Loved ones told the Times the murder-suicide was likely not done in malice but out of what Thomas believed was best for his wife of 40 years. “Just in his mind, he thought this was the best way to handle it,” Susan’s sister, Jennifer Chassee, told the Times.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.