COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shootinghis ailing wife in her hospital bed will
seek clemency from thegovernor after his sentencing Friday, even if the judge follows aprosecutor’s
recommendation for a lighter punishment because of theunique circumstances of the case.John Wise, 68, has
said he shothis debilitated wife out of love in August 2012 after she suffered ananeurysm and appeared to be
in pain at an Akron hospital. Mercy is not adefense to a murder charge in Ohio.Wise, of Massillon,
wasconvicted on charges including aggravated murder with a firearmspecification, which could carry a life
sentence.Summit CountyProsecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh called Wise’s actions illegal anddangerous but said the
case warrants sentencing leniency. She hasrecommended that Wise be sentenced on a lesser crime and get a
six-yearterm."In light of the unique facts of this case, a shorter prison sentence is just," she
said in a statement.Whateverthe sentence, the defense will pursue clemency from the governor and"will
be seeking public support from those who sympathize with John andthis situation," defense attorney Paul
Adamson said.Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands in Akron has told attorneys the sentence must fit within legal
limits.Neitherside found previous case law to support the prosecutor’s suggestionthat the judge could
sentence Wise to six years behind bars formanslaughter, a charge that wasn’t among the counts against him
but isconsidered a lesser included offense, Adamson said in an email.Withcharges merged for sentencing, it’s
also possible Wise could get asix-year term if the prosecution asks the judge to sentence him forfelonious
assault, one of three charges on which he was convicted. AprilWiesner, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor,
wouldn’t say Thursdaywhether the office intends to pursue that option.A spokesman for Gov. John Kasich
didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the potential clemency issue.Copyright 2013 The
Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
orredistributed.