Inmate charged of killing wife dies

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man charged with killing his wife over her advanced Alzheimer’s, has died in the hospital.

John Kotopka, 81, pled not guilty to first-degree murder and was held at the Lancaster County Department of Corrections awaiting trial.

According to a release from the jail, Kotopka died Thursday.  His cause of death has not been determined.

Police say Kotopka shot his wife Janet Kotopka, 78, in their home on June 20.  They had been married 57 years.

According to Kotopka’s arrest records, he thought about hurting her 10 days before the shooting.

Janet required constant monitoring due to her health issues.