Buckeye man sentenced to 10 years for killing wife while she slept

A Buckeye man was sentenced Monday to 10 ½ years in prison for killing his wife.

John Elwyn Smith, 76, pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter for the 2020 death of Jill Kay Smith.

On April 9, 2020, Smith called 911 and told Buckeye police dispatch that he had shot her while she slept and planned on shooting himself.

According to court records, when asked by the operator if something had happened prior to the shooting, Smith said, "It's just being ongoing. We're both elderly. The poor Coronavirus crap been weighing on us — been weighing on me. We've had financial situations."

Smith later told detectives that he decided not to kill himself because "someone needed to be able to explain things," records state.

Smith told detectives that he and his wife were facing an array of financial and medical issues and it was the "only way out." Before his wife decided to take a nap, the couple disagreed over whether to refinance their home to help pay off debt, according to court records.

Court records state that Jill Kay Smith was the "primary breadwinner" throughout the couple's nearly 50 years of marriage and had a lengthy career with the IRS. In retirement, the couple relied heavily on her pension and retirement benefits, records state.

Reach the reporter at marcus.reichley@gannett.com.