A Bowling Green man accused of killing his wife returned to court Monday, and his attorney announced he was working on obtaining a psychiatric evaluation for his client.

Terry Ernest Thomas, 77, is charged with murder and receiving stolen property (firearm) in connection with the death of his wife, Mary Thomas.

Authorities found Mary Thomas dead in her bed on Jan. 9 at the couple’s home at 1128 Blue Bell Way.

Terry Thomas, who is in Warren County Regional Jail under a $500,000 cash bond, was brought into court in a wheelchair by a court security officer. 

He did not speak except to confirm his identity for Warren Circuit Court Judge Chris Cohron.

Thomas’ attorney, Dennie Hardin, informed Cohron that he is working with a doctor on scheduling an evaluation for Thomas, and that he anticipated the evaluation would be completed before the next pretrial hearing, which he asked Cohron to schedule for Oct. 21.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated Mary Thomas’ death, and her husband was taken into custody after purportedly confessing.

WCSO Detective Vedad Hadzikadunic testified that the couple’s daughter called 911 on the night of Jan. 9 to report having received a phone call from Terry Thomas during which he claimed to have shot his wife in self-defense.

Deputies were dispatched to the home on Blue Bell Way, where Terry Thomas initially claimed that his wife had attempted to stab him, then took the gun from him and shot herself, Hadzikadunic said.

Police retrieved a .22 caliber handgun that was found on top of the drawer next to the bed on the side where Terry Thomas slept, and deputies learned through investigation that the gun had been reported stolen in Florida in 2014.

When Terry Thomas began having difficulty breathing, he was taken to The Medical Center, where he gave a statement to Hadzikadunic.

“He advised that he and his wife had been having problems for many years,” Hadzikadunic said. “He went into the bedroom to try to make the relationship better, and he advised she produced a handgun, a struggle occurred and then the gun went off.”

The Thomas’ daughter was interviewed over the phone and reported that Terry Thomas told her he and his wife were arguing.

“Thomas told his daughter the victim got in his face and threatened to leave him,” Hadzikadunic said. “(Thomas’ daughter) doesn’t remember the suspect telling her he was physically attacked by the victim.”

Hadzikadunic testified that Thomas also called his son in the wake of the shooting and gave him an account of what happened.

“(Thomas) told (his son) he got tired of arguing with his spouse and he just couldn’t take it anymore and he shot her,” Hadzikadunic said.

During that phone call, Thomas reportedly told his son that he was going to prison for the rest of his life, the detective said.