Warning: This story includes some details which readers might find upsetting

Documents reveal how the Salters spent the last day they spent together, as well as aspects of Jean Salter’s health that had brought recent challenges in the marriage.

The morning of Sunday, October 8 started with a relaxed breakfast of McDonald’s and coffee in the Bay of Plenty sunshine for retirees John and Jean Salter, who had been married for 60 years, says the document.

"The day ended with John, 80, strangling Jean with a necktie he’d hidden under a cushion in the lounge of their Mt Maunganui retirement home where they’d lived for 18 years.

As he tightened the tie, restricting her breathing, she repeated, “Oh John” several times, before taking her last breath.

The next day, began like any other for the residents of the Bayswater Retirement Village."

The Metlifecare village, across the road from Papamoa beach, is set on 21 acres and offers independent living in apartments or villas, and plenty of activities.

Some retirees went for early morning beach walks, others headed to the village’s morning exercise class, others to have breakfast in one of the village’s cafes.

Many were surprised when they noticed police cars and police in and around one of the apartments, near the front of the village.

Talk spread quickly through the village that something bad had happened at the Salters’ apartment.

“They were an English couple, John and Jean,” says one of the residents.

“They didn’t get involved much with the activities of the village, sort of kept to themselves.

She had dementia, which he was struggling with.

We’re shocked. How can something like this happen here, in our community - you don’t expect murder in a retirement village.”

But murder it was.

John Salter, 80, has pleaded guilty in the Tauranga High Court to murdering his wife, Jean Ann Salter, 78, in their village apartment.

The retirement home is across the road from Pāpāmoa beach. Photo: Christel Yardley Stuff.

He awaits sentencing in February and may never get to see the Bay of Plenty sunshine again.

The threshold for departing from a life sentence for murder with a 10 to 17 minimum period of imprisonment is very high, according to the Law Commission, and since 2002 there have only been a handful of cases.

According to the document, Jean had been suffering from mild Alzheimer’s for a year. As a result, John had taken over all the household duties that he’d never done before during their marriage, as Jean used to do them - cooking, cleaning, bill payments, grocery shopping.

In the week leading up to the murder, on Wednesday, October 4, John was visited by a member of the retirement village to talk about Jean wandering through the apartment block in the morning due to her Alzheimer’s.

A suggestion was made to move Jean to an Alzheimer’s facility in another location that had become available.

This caused John to become stressed and concerned about being separated from his wife, says the document.

He spoke to Jean over the week about a suicide pact, says John.

However, due to her mental state, Jean only nodded in agreement at times before forgetting the arrangement.

According to the document, John started preparing for it by taking additional blood thinners over the week.

On Sunday 8 October 2023, the couple woke early and drove to McDonald’s and Robert Harris Pāpāmoa for their respective breakfasts.

They sat in the car and enjoyed the sun before returning home before midday.

At home, John prepared to kill Jean by strangulation.

He took a necktie from the laundry and placed it under a couch cushion in the lounge, close to the deceased’s armchair.

In the afternoon, John made Jean a cup of coffee, and they sat together in the lounge. John stood up and asked her to drink her coffee and moved closer to her. Jean stood up to pick up the cup of coffee and then put it down again.

John saw this as his opportunity, says the document.

He took the necktie from underneath the cushion and wrapped the ends around his hands. Then He helped Jean stand up.

He wrapped the necktie around Jeans’s throat and pulled at both ends restricting her breathing as he lowered her to the floor.

As he was doing it, Jean called out “oh John” several times, but he continued to strangle her until she was dead.

John then went to the bathroom to attempt suicide, says the document.

He then cleaned himself up and called a relative and told them what had happened.

Next, he called the police, says the document.

In explanation, Salter admitted strangling Jean as he said he could not live without her and planned to kill himself after, to be with her.

- Annemarie Quill/STUFF

Where to get help

737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.

Anxiety New Zealand 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)

Depression.org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202

Lifeline 0800 543 354

Mental Health Foundation 09 623 4812, click here to access its free resource and information service.

Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254

Samaritans 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

If it is an emergency, click here to find the number for your local crisis assessment team.

In a life-threatening situation, call 111.