Sheriff: WI State Patrol bureau director, wife fatally shot by their son
David Pabst
TOWN OF MIDDLETON, Wis - Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technical Services Director David Pabst and his wife, Teri, were killed by their 25-year-old son, who later committed suicide.
David and Teri found
What we know:
According to the Dane County Sheriff's Office, on Tuesday, July 8 at 2:21 p.m., deputies responded to a call at a home in the Town of Middleton.
A family member called 911 after going to check on David and Teresa (Teri) Pabst, who didn't show up at their expected destinations that morning. When the family member went into the home, they found both David and Teri dead.
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Deputies had information that their son, 25-year-old James Pabst, had left the home just before they arrived. He was driving a white Honda Accord and was believed to be armed.
Traffic stop
What we know:
At 4:19 p.m., the Wisconsin State Patrol found his vehicle heading west on U.S. Highway 14 in Vernon County.
The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop and James pulled over without issue.
However, as deputies and troopers attempted to speak with him, he closed his window, and refused to get out of the car. After about one hour without a response to verbal commands, law enforcement tactically approached the car and determined James had shot and killed himself.
Based on evidence at both scenes and interviews conducted with family members and friends, Dane County Sheriff’s investigators believe James shot and killed his parents, David and Teri, sometime after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, July 7, in the home that they all shared. The handgun used was lawfully purchased by James.
What they're saying:
"On behalf of everyone at the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, our sincerest condolences go out to the Pabst family, their friends, and neighbors," said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. "While this is no longer a criminal investigation, we will do all we can to provide the surviving family members the answers and closure they deserve."
The Source: The Dane County Sheriff's Office provided most of the information in a Facebook post. The Vernon County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol also provided information in this report.