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Barrington man who killed wife after coffee pot fight to appeal

The attorney for Larry Lotz - the 69-year-old Barrington man who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing his wife following an argument over a coffee pot - said Monday he will take the case to the appellate court.

Defense attorney Robert Hauser went before Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes Monday morning to ask him to reduce Lotz's sentence.

Shanes, who found Lotz guilty in August of second-degree murder and sentenced him in November to 16 years in prison, declined.

Hauser said after the hearing he would ask the appellate court to find Lotz not guilty by reason of insanity.

Hauser argued during the trial that Lotz, a Vietnam War veteran, was in a dissociative state brought on by PTSD when he fired four shots of his .45-caliber revolver at Karen Lotz, 59, in January 2016.

If Shanes' verdict stands, Hauser said he will ask the appellate court to reduce Lotz's sentence. Hauser said he will not request another trial.

"Larry and his family just couldn't go through that again," Hauser said Monday.

Lotz's trial featured defense experts who said Lotz was in a dissociative state when he shot his wife, testimony that Shanes dismissed when he ruled in August.

"He made a series of deliberate, conscious acts," Shanes said at the time, noting how Lotz needed to pull back the hammer on the gun between each shot. "Conscious acts fueled by alcohol and anger, but nonetheless deliberate ones."

Immediately after shooting Karen, Larry Lotz emptied the other bullets from the gun, called 911 and told the dispatcher he'd shot his wife.

Hauser described the sentence as "devastating" and more severe than he expected.

Lotz must serve at least 50 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

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