Elderly murder defendant told police she killed roommate as part of 'pact'
Sep. 23—A police report released Wednesday suggests the 76-year-old woman charged with first-degree murder at Pinewood Glen Retirement Community shot her roommate as part of a "suicide pact."
Firsthand accounts gathered by the Bakersfield Police Department and filed in Kern County Superior Court may offer evidence that defendant Sandra Bonertz killed 83-year-old Winnie Smith under a prior agreement between the two women.
"She asked me to do it, and I did," Bonertz told a BPD officer investigating the incident, according to the report.
People familiar with elder care say such pacts are unusual and may point to a lack of societal support for seniors.
Bonertz is quoted in the report saying Smith was "not getting any better. Neither of us were." Bonertz added that she and a person whose name was redacted from the report had been in a car accident that resulted in many broken bones.
On July 11, BPD officers arrived at Pinewood Glen, an independent living center operated by the Kern Housing Authority, and found Smith dead after being shot three times in the chest.
Police found Bonertz holding a firearm that was registered to her and loaded with five rounds. Three bullets were spent and two remained, according to the documents. Pinewood Glen has a policy against storing weapons on the property.
Bonertz told a police sergeant the pact was stored in an envelope on a counter, according to the documents.
"It's very important that the manager gets the envelope on the countertop," Bonertz reportedly said. "It has sensitive information. This was a suicide pact."
Pat McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said she encounters many instances of elderly people asking for relief because their pain becomes unbearable. However, cases involving roommates forging a pact are unusual, she said.
"It's a horrible, tragic thing," McGinnis said. "You wonder — had she gotten enough support?"
Access to affordable, accessible and reliable home- and community-based services must be expanded, McGinnis added. She said that often, many elderly receive inadequate care because they do not want to burden their friends or family.
Jeremy Oliver, program director at the Kern County Aging and Adult Services Department, said he urges seniors seeking to end their life to consult a doctor rather than hasten toward fatal acts.
He said there are many avenues available for getting help through the Kern County Behavioral & Health Services, whose crisis line is 1-800-991-5272, and the Kern County Adult Protective Services: 661-868-1006.
Bonertz's pre-preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 20.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
