Man says he shot his wife who had breast cancer to end her suffering

[Locutus]

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — A southeastern Kentucky man charged Wednesday with killing his wife said he fatally shot her because she asked him to end her suffering from terminal breast cancer.

Ernest Chris Chumbley, 48, of London, Ky., told WKYT-TV he fired the shots that killed 44-year-old Virginia M. Chumbley.

"I shot her," he told the station from the Laurel County jail Wednesday. "She died from my shots, but it's not murder."

He pleaded not guilty in Laurel County District Court and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 5.

The Laurel County sheriff's office said Ernest Chumbley called authorities about 2:30 a.m. EDT and told them he had shot his wife.

Deputies found her dead in the bedroom. Chumbley was waiting in the couple's living room when deputies arrived. He was arrested and was being held on $200,000 bond.

Chumbley told WLEX-TV he loved his wife, who he said had been fighting cancer for several years.

"She mentioned hospice and all that. She didn't want that," he said. "I loved her. I love her, and she took it as far as she wanted to go."

Neighbor Stan Campbell said Virginia Chumbley was in a lot of pain.

"The only reason I could think he shot her is she probably asked him to, because she was hurting so bad," Campbell said.

Neighbors said the couple had been married for more than 20 years and had a loving marriage.

Ernest Chumbley doesn't blame deputies for arresting him, which the sheriff's office said was accomplished without incident.

"I just did what she asked," he said. "And I would expect no different from her if I was asking her."


Man says he shot wife with cancer to end her suffering

 

[WLDB]

A sad case. I'm sure he knew this would happen but was still willing to go through with it. Its unfortunate that she couldn't have done it in another way. If I had a relative in a similar situation who asked me to kill them I don't think I could. Not because I think it would be wrong to kill in that situation, but because I don't want to end up in jail for who knows how long. I know people who have been in this situation and nearly all of them say they wish they could have helped their relative in that way. If I wind up like that while voluntary euthanasia is still illegal I'd probably just do it myself rather than potentially ruin someone else's life by involving them.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

She shoulda just made him the damn sandwich.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

The only issue I see here is the lack of supporting documentation. With that, if I was the DA, I would likely stay or drop the charges.

 

[Nuggler]

File down the trigger sear, hand her the gun, and say "there ya go, y'all"

 

[EagleSmack]

I was actually thinking topic of this yesterday. Most people want to live long and have a fear of death. I don't want to speak for everyone mind you.

However, this is not the first time we've heard of stories or possibly even known people who are sick and simply say enough. My friends mom went through cancer and beat it. Many years later it came back surprising them all. As soon as she heard the news she called in her kids and told them...

"No, I will not go through this again. I will not take one treatment."

And that was that. Two weeks and it was over.

The pain and misery must be so awful for people who make that decision.

 

[SLM]

I was actually thinking topic of this yesterday. Most people want to live long and have a fear of death. I don't want to speak for everyone mind you.

However, this is not the first time we've heard of stories or possibly even known people who are sick and simply say enough. My friends mom went through cancer and beat it. Many years later it came back surprising them all. As soon as she heard the news she called in her kids and told them...

"No, I will not go through this again. I will not take one treatment."

And that was that. Two weeks and it was over.

The pain and misery must be so awful for people who make that decision.

Who make the decision not to fight it you mean? I don't know about that. I think there is a certain serenity that comes with that decsion. Often, not always but often enough, it is our attempt to prevent the body from shutting down that can cause the most problems (pain, suffering, etc).

 

[WLDB]

The only issue I see here is the lack of supporting documentation. With that, if I was the DA, I would likely stay or drop the charges.

Agreed. It is quite possible that he killed her in cold blood and lied about it. It would be surprising but not unheard of if that was the case.

I was actually thinking topic of this yesterday. Most people want to live long and have a fear of death. I don't want to speak for everyone mind you.

However, this is not the first time we've heard of stories or possibly even known people who are sick and simply say enough. My friends mom went through cancer and beat it. Many years later it came back surprising them all. As soon as she heard the news she called in her kids and told them...

"No, I will not go through this again. I will not take one treatment."

And that was that. Two weeks and it was over.

The pain and misery must be so awful for people who make that decision.

I dont blame her. Im sure everyone here knows at least one person who either died or survived cancer. Even when it goes well its not pretty. Dying is not what scares me about cancer, its the treatments that scare me. Often they seem worse than the actual cancer.

 

[EagleSmack]

Who make the decision not to fight it you mean? I don't know about that. I think there is a certain serenity that comes with that decsion. Often, not always but often enough, it is our attempt to prevent the body from shutting down that can cause the most problems (pain, suffering, etc).

I really wasn't asking a question. Just making an observation that most people want to live, but how things can get so painful that they choose to die rather than do what they can to live. I'm not judging or anything.

 

[SLM]

I really wasn't asking a question. Just making an observation that most people want to live, but how things can get so painful that they choose to die rather than do what they can to live. I'm not judging or anything.

I didn't think you were judging anyone. I just wasn't sure if you were referring to how difficult it must be to make the decision not to seek treatment, and the pain that comes along with that. Or if you meant those that seek treatment, and all the pain and suffering that comes along with that choice.

I was just commenting on my perspective, which comes from watching my mom pass away recently. She went from diagnosis to death within two weeks, opted not to have any treatment, just pain management at home. And she was relatively peaceful throughout. Bear in mind that she also had a tumor that was described to me as football sized. From discussions I had with various palliative care professionals, the consensus pretty much was that the choice not to seek treatment resulted in a much calmer, more peaceful death. Because it was somewhat more natural, the body shutting down on it's own. Sometimes interventions by way of treatment wreck such havoc on a body because it's a battle not only with the disease but with the body's own inclination to shut down. Not to suggest that everyone should choose that option of course, I think if life is a viable option we should strive for it. But I would seriously consider that option myself, depending on the overall diagnosis.

 

[damngrumpy]

This has got to be the worst outcome for him. Loses his wife and freedom
and both end up on a dead end road. Sad really. Here in BC we have the
hospice next door to many hospitals and its covered by medicare. Not HMO
style medicare our regular ole government medicare.
I know this woman had enough and perhaps we have to give thought to the
idea of allowing people to go quickly if they don't want to live with terminal
illness

 

[Sal]

He understood exactly what she wanted. No one's place to judge not even the courts. Somethings are cut and dried and this is one of them. Don't know how they will get around it though, since the law is the law and often there is no compassion unless you get a judge who understands the difference between the law and the spirit of the law.

 

[Nuggler]

I watched my granddad die in pain when I was just a kid. Didn't really know what was happening.. He was a brave man, and the family was religious...............ergo................suffer.

IF the time comes when I'm diagnosed as incurable, ( har har har -right now doncha no).:lol: I won't wait for someone else to end my suffering. Cause they won't do it, and I don't blame them. Who TF wants to spend their life in jail ??!!

The shotgun in the mouth and it's all over. **** everybody who says nay.

I'd do and have done the same for a dog. I'm a human and deserve the same or better

 

[WLDB]

I watched my granddad die in pain when I was just a kid. Didn't really know what was happening.. He was a brave man, and the family was religious...............ergo................suffer.


I'd do and have done the same for a dog. I'm a human and deserve the same or better

My great grandfather died when the doctor let the morphine drip a bit too long - it was done on purpose. My great grandmother was alright with it and said its what he would have wanted. My grandmother told me this about five years ago. I could tell that she was still angry and bitter over it even though it was about 30 years later. She is very Catholic and believes both of her parents are in Hell. Her father for not believing and her mother for taking part in ending his life. He was dying of lung cancer. He was in his own personal Hell already.

George V died in a similar fashion. Purposely killed with a morphine/cocaine overdose so they could announce his death in the more "respectable" papers. Odd that it was allowed then but likely wouldnt be now.

Ive never shot a dog but I did bring him in to be put down. Stayed with him til he was dead and felt a huge feeling of relief at the moment of death. I really wasnt expecting it but it happened. I came across a cat which had been hit by a car a few years earlier. Its hind legs were totally crushed. It was clearly in a lot of pain and had no chance of surviving. I broke its neck. It took awhile for me to actually do it. I wanted to walk away but couldnt leave it there in agony and I couldnt save it. That was the only time I have directly killed an animal. I would do it again as well. When it comes to suffering and humane death we do treat animals far better than humans.

 

[spaminator]

My great grandfather died when the doctor let the morphine drip a bit too long - it was done on purpose. My great grandmother was alright with it and said its what he would have wanted. My grandmother told me this about five years ago. I could tell that she was still angry and bitter over it even though it was about 30 years later. She is very Catholic and believes both of her parents are in Hell. Her father for not believing and her mother for taking part in ending his life. He was dying of lung cancer. He was in his own personal Hell already.

George V died in a similar fashion. Purposely killed with a morphine/cocaine overdose so they could announce his death in the more "respectable" papers. Odd that it was allowed then but likely wouldnt be now.

Ive never shot a dog but I did bring him in to be put down. Stayed with him til he was dead and felt a huge feeling of relief at the moment of death. I really wasnt expecting it but it happened. I came across a cat which had been hit by a car a few years earlier. Its hind legs were totally crushed. It was clearly in a lot of pain and had no chance of surviving. I broke its neck. It took awhile for me to actually do it. I wanted to walk away but couldnt leave it there in agony and I couldnt save it. That was the only time I have directly killed an animal. I would do it again as well. When it comes to suffering and humane death we do treat animals far better than humans.

I don't think that I could bring myself to do that.

 

[Sal]

I don't think that I could bring myself to do that.

do what spam?

 

[SLM]

When it comes to suffering and humane death we do treat animals far better than humans.

Damn straight we do. Animals get a humane death and humans get an inhumane one a lot of the time. Quite the ****ed set of priorities eh?

I don't think that I could bring myself to do that.

I think we all are capable of surprising ourselves when push comes to shove. If you truly felt it was the right thing to do, you may just be able to do it.

 

[spaminator]

I came across a cat which had been hit by a car a few years earlier. Its hind legs were totally crushed. It was clearly in a lot of pain and had no chance of surviving. I broke its neck. It took awhile for me to actually do it. I wanted to walk away but couldnt leave it there in agony and I couldnt save it. That was the only time I have directly killed an animal. I would do it again as well. When it comes to suffering and humane death we do treat animals far better than humans.

do what spam?

putting an animal out of its misery myself.

 

[Sal]

putting an animal out of its misery myself.

oh, yeah, I don't know if I could strangle a large animal either, but I hope I could if it was needed... funny thing is my guy has a farm boy background... he slaughtered the animals no problem BUT...when the Beta Fish had reached the end and was looking really sick and hanging at the bottom of the bowl I was the one who had to take the hammer to it. When we took the last cat to the vet to be euthanized I didn't know if he would be able to stay, yet he handles stress way better than me. It's weird because we never know how we will react in a given situation.

 

[Christianna]

My father had colon cancer, he demanded cobalt treatment even though the drs told him it likely wouldn't help. After they literally burned holes in him he was in agony. They started treating him with morphine, and I made sure that they kept him down with it. I told them his family had a terrible fear of someone being in pain (that was true) and I told them to not allow him to have any pain. They didn't and he lasted all of a week.

However if I were dying of cancer I wouldn't ask a loved one to kill me. That is way too much of a load to place on them. I would take the morphine route.