Former DC official kills ill wife and self

A Pennsylvania inventor and businessman killed his wife, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, before taking his own life Thursday. Charles D. Snelling, 81, of Fogelsville, Pa., had recently resigned as chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, The Washington Post reported. He and his wife, Adrienne, 81, were at their home in Pennsylvania when they died. "Together they struggled greatly to manage the effects of this devastating disease," the family said in a statement. "After apparently reaching the point where he could no longer bear to see the love of his life deteriorate further, our father ended our mother's life and then took his own life as well." Snelling held 20 patents and founded Cryo-Therm Inc. He was active in local politics in the Allentown, Pa., area and was named to the airports authority, which overseas Reagan National and Dulles International airports in 2003 by then-President George W. Bush. The couple had been married for 61 years and had five children and 11 grandchildren. As his wife's illness worsened, Snelling continued to bring her with him on trips of Washington. In a New York Times column in December, Snelling described his wife as a loving and generous person who had taken care of him for 55 years. "The last six years have been my turn, and certainly I have had the best of the bargain," he said.