Overview

• A 74-year-old Long Island man, Anthony Heaton, is charged with the murder of his 82-year-old wife, Mary Heaton, after stabbing her to death in their Wantagh home.
• Authorities report Heaton was overwhelmed by the stress of caring for his ailing wife, leading to the tragic incident.
• The murder was initially intended as part of a murder-suicide plan, but Heaton failed to follow through with his own death.
• Heaton called his son after the act and calmly confessed to the police upon their arrival.
• Neighbors expressed shock, noting the absence of prior domestic violence incidents in the Heatons' home.