Donald Morley remanded in jail, accused of murdering wife Jean Morley

The man has spent two nights in hospital in emergency detention after allegedly killing his wife of 69 years, Jean Morley, whom he described as "my angel".

Donald Morley faced the ACT Magistrates Court via audio-visual link from his hospital bed on Wednesday.

He faces one count of murder and is yet to enter a plea.

Morley had recently been moved from the intensive care unit to a ward after previously attempting to take his own life.

While Legal Aid lawyer Nathan Deakes initially sought bail, he withdrew the application late on Wednesday afternoon after receiving instructions to do so from his client.

Mr Deakes told the court Morley had been released from emergency detention and "marked as a prisoner at risk".

The 92-year-old is set be housed in a segregated room in the Alexander Maconochie Centre with 24-hour monitoring, in what his lawyer described as "a relatively safe place".

Mr Deakes foreshadowed the possibility of Morley applying for bail in the coming weeks.

He said there were considerations, including a grant of aid, to take into account beforehand.

While the idea of Morley staying with a friend had been "floated", Mr Deakes said this was ultimately "not an option".

The court previously heard Morley does not have any children or family with which to stay.

In what magistrate Jane Campbell described as "a tragic, tragic situation", the deceased woman was found on Monday at a Fisher home where the couple had lived for more than 45 years.

"I have done a terrible thing," the man allegedly told a registered nurse who discovered Mrs Morley.

"I suffocated her with a pillow last night."

Morley allegedly said he had killed his wife, also aged 92, about 9pm the night before.

He also told the nurse, who visited the resident twice weekly to tend to the man, he had tried to kill himself in multiple ways.

In what police believe to be a suicide note, Morley allegedly claimed that "after 69 years married, we were both afraid of the future".

"Please don't call this 'murder'-suicide," he allegedly said in a note.

"Sorry to upset all our family and friends this wasn't easy for me, especially my darling."

Speaking on Tuesday, ACT Policing detective acting superintendent Matthew Innes said investigations into whether Mrs Morley was part of a voluntary act or failed suicide pact were ongoing.

"The search is continuing at the home ... investigators are still searching the premises at this stage for any information that might assist us in relation to the death of this lady," he said.

"We're exploring all avenues of inquiry in relation to any conversations or incidents that may have taken place prior to the woman's death."

Mrs Morley's neighbours have remembered her as a lovely Yorkshire woman, who was outspoken at times and "a very nice lady".

The husband is set to reappear in court on August 11.