An 83-year-old Canadian man was booked yesterday for questioning in a homicide investigation into the death of his wife.

The woman, 82, was found dead by police responding to an argument complaint at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, 1777 Ala Moana, at 9:25 a.m. The death occurred in what is believed to be a time-share unit.

Lt. David Kamai, head of Honolulu police homicide investigations, said the man who answered the door allegedly told patrol officers, "I think I killed my wife." The man was booked for second-degree murder at the main police station cellblock at 9:40 a.m.

The couple have been staying in the unit since Dec. 12 and had a three-month lease, Kamai said.

"It's an especially tragic incident because of their ages," Kamai said.

The lieutenant deferred comment on how the woman was killed to the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office, which will likely perform an autopsy to determine cause and manner of death tomorrow.

The couple are from Edmonton, Alberta, and have been coming to Hawai'i for years, according to friends who asked that their names not be used because of the nature of the situation.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.