Jan Sochalski, 61, is charged with second-degree murder in the May 19 death of Henry A. "Butch" Sochalski, 64.
TRENTON -- The wife of a retired Trenton police officer was charged Monday with killing him in a Florida hospital room by suffocating him as he lay unresponsive following routine back surgery, Daytona Beach police allege.
Jan Sochalski, 61, is charged with second-degree murder in the May 19 death of Henry A. "Butch" Sochalski, 64.
Jan Sochalski Henry Sochalski retired in 2003 after serving 25 years as a Trenton patrolman.
The Sochalski's moved to Palm Coast, Fla. from Mercer County shortly after Henry Sochalski retired. The couple were married for 44 years and Jan Sochalski was described in her husband's obituary as his "childhood sweetheart."
Daytona Beach police, in their investigative report, describe Jan Sochalski as "hovering" over her husband and combative with nurses and staff at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
She allegedly asked nurses for powerful narcotics to "decrease his respiratory status" while he was unconscious and tinkered with a device that kept him breathing.
Shortly before he died in his bed, Jan Sochalksi laid across her husband, with her hand around his mouth and nose and a nurse found his "trach collar" was moved off his neck, police allege
Another nurse, police said, reported Jan Sochalski was "pinching" her husband's nose shortly before he died.
Jan Sochalski was a nurse for over 40 years, police said in their report.
Autopsy results found Henry Sochalski suffocated from a blockage to his nose and mouth, and his death was ruled a homicide on Aug. 17.
In a statement to police in May, Jan Sochalski said she was laying with her husband because she wanted to be close to him. During a Monday interview, she she denied any involvement in her husband's death, police said.
Henry Sochalski had elective back surgery at the hospital on April 7 and was expected to make a full recovery, police said.
On April 9, he went into cardiac and respiratory arrest and never regained consciousness, police said.
Police wrote that during his initial recovery, Henry Sochalksi was put on a self-administered pain medication system which he activated by pushing a button.
Nurses told investigators they found Jan Sochalski was pressing the button, and they told her to stop.
A check of the machine found it was pressed 264 times in an eight-hour period, but only should have been pushed six times. A safety mechanism prevented the extra dosages, police said.
Police said Jan Sochalski in May prevented staffers from entering her husband's room, and in late April she threatened to get her husband's gun and shoot people on the hospital floor.
Jan Sochalski is being held without bail at the Volusia County Jail.
Henry Sochalski was a member of the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club and never missed a chance to ride his motorcycle, which was his true passion, his obituary said. He also doted on his two grandsons.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.