80-year-old kills wife with hammer in senior living home, Maryland cops say

A man killed his 78-year-old wife with a hammer in their senior living home apartment, according to Maryland authorities and news reports.

Now, 80-year-old Vivian Stewart Nation is charged with first-degree murder following the July 5 death of his wife, Beverly Fletcher, at Leisure World, the Montgomery County Department of Police said in a July 7 news release.

Officers originally went to the Silver Spring apartment for a report of someone in cardiac arrest, WUSA reported.

An investigation revealed Fletcher had been attacked, police said. She was found with “multiple stab wounds and possible blunt force trauma” and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nation told police he and his wife were “arguing about an issue with his doctor” when he pushed her to the floor, according to The Washington Post.

“He then got on top of her and pushed a hammer against her throat, pressing the hammer down with both hands,” investigators said in court filings obtained by the Post.

A bloody screwdriver and knife were also discovered in the home, WUSA reported.

“The cause of death was determined to be multiple sharp force injuries, and the manner of death ruled a homicide,” police said after the completion of an autopsy.

Leisure World is a gated community for residents 55 years and older. It is about a 15-mile drive north from Washington, D.C.

“At no time was there any threat or danger to other residents or the broader community,” Leisure World said in a statement to WTTG. “The Montgomery County Police Department is actively investigating the incident.”

Nation is being held in jail without bond, court records show.

This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM with the headline "80-year-old kills wife with hammer in senior living home, Maryland cops say."