![Death Valley National Park. [Shutterstock TM creations]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/shutterstock_107572688-e1674763626441.jpg "Death Valley National Park. [Shutterstock TM creations]")
A 73-year-old man killed himself and his wife in Death Valley National Park to put her out of her misery as she allegedly battled a chronic illness, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Wednesday.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office reportedly received a call from Paul Fischer, 73, on Jan. 13 that he had killed his wife, Mary, and planned on killing himself, too. Fischer told operators where they could locate his body in Death Valley, according to authorities.
Upon arrival authorities found Fischer’s vehicle, where he had left a note saying his wife was suffering from recurring health conditions, according to the NPS.
Authorities said the man called the Inyo County Sheriff’s office to report that he had just killed his wife.https://t.co/mza288Nqb5
— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) January 26, 2023
It is unclear how exactly the Fischers died, and authorities did not disclose further information. (RELATED: Theology Professor Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide)
Officials from the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Inyo County Coroner’s Office, NPS, California Highway Patrol and Bureau of Land Management responded to the scene, the NPS stated in the press release.
The elderly couple hailed from Las Vegas, according to Fox5 Vegas.
Death Valley National Park covers 3.4 million acres of unpopulated terrain, according to Travel Nevada. It is the biggest national park in the lower 48 states. Several roads and hiking trails have been closed due to inclement weather at the time of writing.