ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A second grand jury has indicted a man in the shooting death of his wife of 53 years on a lesser charge than the first grand jury rejected.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Virginia, reports (http://bit.ly/2mJuV3T) the first grand jury in January did not approve an indictment for first-degree murder against 72-year-old Frank Mansfield of Elizabeth City.

Mansfield told police he fatally shot his wife, Phyllis, in their garage on Dec. 14, 2016.

A news release from the Elizabeth City Police Department says a second grand jury indicted Mansfield on March 12 on a second-degree murder charge.

Court documents described Mansfield telling police he shot his wife with a .22-caliber pistol to keep her from going to an assisted-living facility and living like a “caged animal.”

Mansfield was released from jail on bond.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com