MURDER IN SURGERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21744, 8 March 1934, Page 9

MURDER IN SURGERY

YOUNG WIFE'S FATE

MOTHER-IN-LAW GUILTY

25 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT By Telegraph—Presu Asiiociation—Copyright (Received March 7, 5.5 p.m.) CHICAGO', March 6 The second' trial was concluded today of Dr. Alice Wynekoop on a charge of murdering her son's wife. Accused was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment. Rheta Wynekoop, aged 23, a talented violinist, was found early in the evening on November 21 with a bullet in her heart and lying with a blanket wrapped about her on the operating table in the surgery of her mother-in-law, Dr. Alice Wynekoop, aged 63. Breaking down after nearly three days of exhausting examination the aged physician said she administered chloroform to Rheta while she was examining her for a pelvic pain, of which the girl had complained. She had gone to her surgical office in the basement of her house, where she found Rheta, partly unclad, weighing herself. The girl complained of severe pains and the doctor said she placed her on the operating table and began administering chloroform in order to ease the pain .and to facilitate the examination. The daughter-in-law finally lost consciousness, and after 25 minutes, the doctor said, she tried to revive her. Realising that the , girl was losing ground sho became panic-stricken. "All the events of my life flashed through my mind," she said. " I thought of the pistol in an adjoining room. Fearful of being blamed for killing;' the girl with the anaesthetic I obtained the revolver and fired a shot at one of. her shoulder blades. The bu'llet went through her heart." The case took an extraordinary turn when Dr. Earle Wynekoop, widower of the dead girl, completely repudiated bis mother's confession and insisted that he alone had committed the murder. He was sent to gaol charged with the murder, but the police could not substantiate his confession and ho was released.

The first trial of Dr. Alice Wynekoop was discontinued. The Judge ruled to that effect after a committee of doctors had reported that accused was so ill that the ordeal of the trial would endanger her life.