Murder Med For Depression 20/12/1994 Massachusetts Man Kills Wife of Eleven Years: 4 Day Withdrawal Summary:

First paragraph reads:  "Four days before he allegedly murdered his wife, William Sylvia stopped taking his antidepression medicine, his defense attorney said yesterday. Sylvia allegedly shot his 40-year-old wife, Kristine, five times in the chest Saturday. He was on his way to his grandmother's grave to commit suicide when the police intercepted him, his attorney said. Sylvia, balding, unshaven and shackled, pleaded innocent to murder in New Bedford District Court yesterday. He was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for 20 days for psychiatric observation under close suicide watch."



Attorney says accused wife-killer had stopped taking medication

Boston Herald (MA) - December 20, 1994
Author: TIM CORNELL

Four days before he allegedly murdered his wife, William Sylvia stopped taking his antidepression medicine, his defense attorney said yesterday. Sylvia allegedly shot his 40-year-old wife, Kristine, five times in the chest Saturday. He was on his way to his grandmother's grave to commit suicide when the police intercepted him, his attorney said. Sylvia, balding, unshaven and shackled, pleaded innocent to murder in New Bedford District Court yesterday. He was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for 20 days for psychiatric observation under close suicide watch.

"This is a horrible story of a vibrant young woman and mother who was basically assassinated by her husband just before Christmas," said prosecutor John Mahoney.

Just why Sylvia, 45, burst into an apartment above Barbero's Italian restaurant and killed his wife of 11 years is still a subject of speculation.

Mahoney said Sylvia was in a rage because his wife was dating Tom Barbero.

"This is an estranged husband who murders his wife at the home of a man she's dating," Mahoney said.

But Kristine Sylvia's family said the romance with Tom Barbero was a figment of William Sylvia's mind. "There is no explanation," said Kristine Sylvia's sister, Lisa Schnack.

"I knew of no abuse. Just like any relationship, you have good times and bad times, and when you have a separation, you have a point of stress. But I had no clue this would happen."

Sylvia's court-appointed lawyer, Drew Segadelli, said Sylvia had been depressed since he and his wife separated in August.

A Vietnam vet who saw action during the Tet offensive, Sylvia was so depressed he did not report to work recently and was fired, Segadelli said.

In November a local doctor prescribed Sylvia an antidepressant. He took it until Wednesday, Segadelli said.

On the day of the murder, Sylvia swallowed all the pills left in the bottle, his attorney said. But Segadelli did not know whether the National Guardsman overdosed before he shot his wife.
Edition: 03
Section: NEWS
Page: 016
Record Number: BHLD108452
Copyright (c) 1994 Boston Herald