PD: 94-year-old husband dies after shooting wife, himself at St. Peters hospital

Published: May. 22, 2022 at 8:43 PM CDT|Updated: May. 23, 2022 at 1:25 PM CDT

ST. PETERS (KMOV) -- A 94-year-old husband who reportedly shot his 93-year-old wife in her hospital bed in an attempted murder-suicide Sunday has died.

Investigators said Anna Bode’s 94-year-old husband John Robey walked into her hospital room before 11 a.m. at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. Bode, 93, was admitted for several days for an undisclosed illness. Shortly after he got there, police said Robey shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself. No one else was in the room at the time. The man was critically wounded in the shooting but died the following day.

The older adult couple lived at the Lake St. Charles Retirement Community, but for privacy reasons, an administrator said she couldn’t speak about the couple. Bode once attended Agape Church in Wentzville where her son, Mel Bond, is the pastor. In an interview Bond conducted with his mother that’s posted on YouTube, she said she was the mother of five children and had survived diphtheria at a young age.

Barnes Jewish Hospital St. Peters released this statement about the shooting: “This is a tragic domestic situation, and our hearts go out to the family. The scene at the hospital has been cleared. The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. We are working with police on this investigation and refer any further comment to law enforcement.”

Anna Bode, 94, was shot and killed while in her hospital bed at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital.(Family)

According to BJC Healthcare, Barnes Jewish Hospital St. Peters doesn’t have metal detectors but Barnes Jewish Hospital in the Central West End and St. Louis Children’s hospital do. However, the metal detectors are only in the emergency departments.

Three SSM Health hospitals have metal detectors in their E-R departments. They are Saint Louis University Hospital, Cardinal Glennon Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital.

Missouri Hospital Association spokesman Dave Dillon said that security is a daily concern at hospitals and is regularly re-evaluated. But he said hospitals shy away from the widespread use of metal detectors because they want to create an atmosphere that coincides with the mission of healing and not leave patients and visitors feeling captive.

He also said in a state that has a concealed carry law, there are probably people who visit hospitals while carrying a gun.

“While we absolutely do not think that it’s a good idea, and in many cases we prohibit it, We can’t always stop it. And so, you know, really it depends upon the intent of the individual,” Dillon said.

The St. Peters Criminal Investigation Division is currently investigating the shooting