Episode 277: On January 26, 2012, Jo Anne Alexander called 911 from her residence in Richmond, B.C., pleading for help and mentioning that she had ingested sleeping pills. Upon arrival, police found Jo Anne and her husband, John Alexander, in their bed with their deceased family dog. John was dead and had suffered blunt-force injuries. His death was ruled a homicide. Jo Anne was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was arrested after a conversation with police and subsequently charged with second-degree murder.

A B.C. Supreme Court jury found Jo Anne Alexander guilty of the second-degree murder of her husband in March. She was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 11 years. The court heard that the couple had been in severe financial distress, living off the proceeds from the sale of their home and borrowing from friends and family. In a letter to her family, Jo Anne, apparently suicidal, said the couple was facing "financial ruin" and that her husband didn't understand.

John and Jo Anne's son, David, will share his experiences over the past 11 and a half years since his father died in the next part of this episode.

The following episode includes talk of suicide. If you need help, you can contact a crisis responder to get help without judgement, twenty-four / seven, 365 days a year at 1-833-456-4566. For more information, please go to talksuicide.ca. You matter and are deserving of help.

Sources:

Get Help | Talk Suicide Canada

2014 BCSC 293 (CanLII) | R. v. Alexander | CanLII

2014 BCSC 1306 (CanLII) | R. v. Alexander | CanLII

Richmond woman, 63, gets 11-year prison term for murder of ailing husband - Richmond News

Richmond woman charged with murdering invalid husband of 40 years | Globalnews.ca

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The Alexander Family Tragedy