Husband Shot Wife in the Head Over Coffee Maker Fight: Prosecutors

A Lake County judge set bail at $3 million for a Barrington man accused of shooting his wife to death over her nagging about him forgetting to turn off the coffee maker.

Larry Lotz, 65, charged with first-degree murder, shot Karen Lotz three times — once in the head — early Friday morning with a .45-caliber pistol, according to police, and later admitted he did so to officers who arrived at their home in the 400 block of North Cook Street.

Upon arriving at the home around 1 a.m., police summoned an ambulance and Karen Lotz, 59, was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy was conducted today.

Lotz told officers in a recorded interrogation that he tried to hide from his wife in his office above the garage, but she followed him there and unlocked the door, according to Lake County prosecutors, at which point the husband opened fire with his handgun. He fired four times, striking his wife three times, according to prosecutors.

“He called his son first,” Stephen Scheller, felony review chief for the state’s attorney’s office, told the Daily Herald. “His son said, ‘Call 911.’ When he called 911, he stated, in his words, quote, ‘I just shot my wife. I just shot my wife. Please, send an ambulance.’”

Before retreating to his office above the garage, the husband had unplugged the coffee maker.

When Lotz appeared before a judge Friday, assistant state’s attorney Chris Corbin related the series of events, reports the Chicago Tribune. Lotz interrupted.

“That’s not what happened,” he blurted, and the judge told him to stop talking. Larry Lotz is due back in court Feb. 8. He remains in the Lake County jail.

Karen Lotz raised twin sons with her husband. Their sons are 33 years old. She worked as an admissions supervisor at Harper College in Palatine, according to the college, and was working on a master’s degree at Robert Morris College.

She worked at Harper College for almost 20 years.

“She was just as passionate about helping others advance and develop as she was interested in furthering her own education,” reads a statement issued by Harper College on Friday

Larry Lotz, a Vietnam-era Army veteran who worked in information technology, was described as a “normal, friendly neighbor” by people who live on their street.

A son, Matthew Lotz, spoke with the Tribune on Friday and said the family home was always a “happy” one. He said police would not let him speak with his father.

“I don’t know anything about (what happened with) my father, but no matter what, I love him,” the son said. “Both our parents were very caring and did everything they possibly could for us.

“They were always willing to go without to make sure we had something.”