Family ripped apart in double murder-suicide in Wisconsin
David and Teresa 'Teri' Pabst, both 64, were found dead in their home in Middleton, a roughly 20-minute drive from Madison, by a family member Tuesday morning.
Their son, James, is thought to have fatally shot them with a legally bought handgun at around 9.30pm the previous night, police said.
James fled the residence after the double homicide and was tracked down by state troopers Tuesday afternoon about 80 miles outside of Middleton, the Dane County Sheriff's Office said.
Police initiated a traffic stop and a standoff ensued. Although James pulled over, he refused to comply with officers' orders to exit the vehicle.
After nearly an hour with no response from the suspect, officers approached the vehicle and found James had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The coroner completed autopsies on David and Teri on Wednesday, but their cause and manner of death remains pending as more tests are carried out.
The couple's daughters Lora, Danielle and Heidi are 'devastated' by the tragedy and claimed the family was 'deeply impacted' by James' 'debilitating' mental illness.
A family member called 911 around 2.20pm Tuesday after carrying out a welfare check at the Pabst residence in the 8500 block of Stonebrook Circle.
The relative had grown concerned after David and Teri failed to arrive at their expected destinations earlier that morning.
James, who lived in the home with his parents, had fled the property not long before deputies arrived, the sheriff's office said in a press release obtained by DailyMail.com.
He was spotted heading westbound on US Highway 14 in Vernon County roughly two hours after the 911 call came in.
State troopers and Vernon County sheriff's deputies carried out a traffic stop but as they tried to speak with James, he rolled up his window and refused to exit the car.
He was found inside the vehicle with a gunshot wound one hour later. Paramedics tried to save him, but despite their best efforts James was pronounced dead at the scene.
David was the head of the Wisconsin State Patrol's Bureau of Transportation Safety and Teri was a longtime educator who most recently worked at an elementary school in nearby Madison.
Their daughters, in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, praised David's 'passion for keeping people safe on the roads' and how Teri 'dedicated her heart and soul to the children she worked with'.
David was 'proud to come from a long line of public servants in the state of Wisconsin' and always showed up for others, the sisters recalled.
'Our mom thrived when she could make a difference in the life of a child,' the trio's statement added.
'Please know that if you ever worked with her or had a child who was lucky enough to be taught by her, that our family heard daily about how proud she was of you.'
But the sisters also took a moment to reflect on their brother's alleged poor mental health, reminding others that many families are 'deeply impacted by mental illness'.
'We are devastated to have lost our brother James to his debilitating illness. For those of you who knew him, please remember him for who he was before,' they said.
The sister further urged anyone who is struggling or has a loved one in crisis to 'please seek help' and 'don't give up'.
'Find someone to reach out to and grasp onto a thread of hope. Keep living because your life is precious,' they concluded.
The couple were 'loving parents' to five children and the 'proud grandparents' to seven youngsters.
Wisconsin State Highway Patrol, in wake of the tragedy, issued a statement on social media issuing their 'deepest condolences go out to the Pabst family, friends, and all who served alongside him'.
'It is with profound sadness to share the sudden passing of Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technical Services Director David Pabst and his wife. A graduate of the 35th recruit class in 1986, David dedicated nearly 40 years rising through the ranks from trooper to director,' the statement said.
'In honor of his service, mourning bands will be worn through interment.'
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett also issued his thoughts to the grieving family, saying: 'On behalf of everyone at the Dane County Sheriff's Office, our sincerest condolences go out to the Pabst family, their friends, and neighbor.
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
I was on FaceTime call with my best friend when she was killed in a horror car crash – her screams will haunt me forever
A YOUNG woman who was on FaceTime with her best pal when she was killed in a car crash says she'll be haunted by the memory forever. Ebony Neville heard tragic work colleague Stephanie Nye-Diroyan suddenly scream as the video call cut out. 9 9 9 The 21-year-old then began frantically trying to call her friend back before getting into her own car and driving along the same route, eventually coming across the crash site. Stephanie, 21, was a passenger in a BMW being driven by another work colleague, Ivan Zaliac, 24, when they ploughed into a lorry at nearly 100mph on Mollison Avenue, in Enfield North London. Ebony told The Sun: "Seconds before the phone cut out you could hear the engine revving and Stephanie's scream - then it froze on her face." She added: 'I tried to ring her back - I don't know what I was thinking had happened. 'I then got in my car and I didn't know where to go, I knew that they were in Brimsdown, in that local area, but I had no idea where.' Zaliac - who walked free from court last month after being deemed unfit to stand trial - had been giving Stephanie a lift on October 23 2022 after they finished work at nearby second hand car dealership Big Motoring World. Ebony was ill that day and Stephanie had agreed to stop off to see her on her way home when she died. The crash happened at 7.54pm. 'It was literally a quick call,' explained Ebony. 'She worked that day - it was a Sunday - and I wasn't in. 'It was a quick catch up, really. A catch up with a friend, that's all. She was such a good friend, she'd been non-stop checking in throughout the day - but couldn't ring me until she finished work. 'We were on the phone and then it froze on Stephanie's face, and the call cut out.' Three pedestrians injured by falling rubble as van crashes through multi-storey car park wall in UK city centre She added: 'I then rang her personal phone. I also rang Ivan's phone, both were disconnected and were being put through to voicemail.' Ebony said she waited 20 minutes and was 'still ringing during this time… just to try and find out what had happened'. She rang the police and found out there'd been a 'bad crash' in Brimsdown so 'drove around'. 'It wasn't too far from my house, it was about an 11-minute drive,' Ebony said. 'The road was blocked off. I hadn't been told who was involved in the crash or what had happened. 'I wasn't allowed to know any information.' She was then directed to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in the East End, where Stephanie had been taken. Holding back tears, Ebony said: 'I did everything I could that day and I wouldn't change anything. I went to the hospital… I wasn't allowed to know anything without Stephanie's mother knowing first.' 9 9 A screen shot she captured of Stephanie during the call, a few minutes before the crash, was shown in court. Ebony took to the stand to give evidence. She said: 'I was quite upset and ran out of the room immediately afterwards, and put myself together before returning.' Zailac suffers from amnesia and doesn't remember the details of what happened after suffering a brain injury in the collision and subsequent psychiatric issues. He had been ruled unfit to stand trial so the jury had to formally decide whether he did the act alleged, namely causing Stephanie's death by dangerous driving. The jury then found he did carry out the act. Judge Sarah Munro, KC, said Zailac will be supervised by a nominated social worker and the Hillingdon mental health team for two years. 'This is the only way your mental health can be restored in order for a decision to be made as to whether there are further legal consequences for you to face,' the judge said. Prosecutor Frederick Hookway told the court that the Crown intends to put Zailac on trial if he recovers. 'The objective of this order is for the improvement of the defendant's mental health not only for his own sake but for the future of these proceedings,' he said. 'The crown do intend to reinstitute these proceedings when and if appropriate.' Stephanie's mum Nicholle Diroyan sobbed as she read her victim impact statement at the Old Bailey on July 7. She said: 'The pain of losing her is immeasurable and every day without her feels incomplete.' Ebony, who now lives in Manchester, has launched a petition to try and ensure Stephanie's family get justice. 'There's been three years of constant delays and adjournments - and now we're told it'll be 2027 before we know if Ivan can even stand trial. 'It's the waiting. We're left in the dark.'. 'I feel so sorry for Stephanie's mum Nicholle - who's always at the court but then left frustrated each time.' Ebony added: 'We were told the jury returned a verdict in a record time. Quickest for death by dangerous driving for 27 years. 'Despite this clear outcome, family and friends are waiting for justice.' Referring to the two-year order, she said: 'It's a deterrent of the law, rather than an enforcement.' She added: 'That grievance, when everything is brought back up. I'm quite shaky on this call, it's traumatic to relive the tragic crash and death of Stephanie.' Ebony went on to say: 'Stephanie was the most lovely, genuine, outgoing person. She was there for her friends, she was there for her family. 'If anyone needed her, she'd message, she'd ring, she'd be there for you. To see her face in the newspaper in such a tragic way, and yet we're still yet to receive any justice, is so heartbreaking.' Stephanie had hired Ebony several months before, and was her manager before being promoted to the finance department shortly prior to her death. 'We became friends so quickly,' she said. 'The week before she died we were in Manchester and Nottingham, just enjoying ourselves. 'I was always going round to hers and picking her up or going for lunch break. 'Sometimes we'd get a takeaway into work and would be sitting there with 10 different Greggs items. She was amazing.' Ebony added: 'We believe she's looking down on us so proud of us all.' Do you know more? Email 9 9
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Three of five trapped workers at Codelco's El Teniente mine found dead
SANTIAGO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Three of five trapped workers at Codelco's El Teniente copper mine have been found dead, the company said, as rescue teams work to clear underground passages that collapsed in a strong tremor last week. One person also died at the time of the incident on Thursday evening, bringing the total death toll to four. Codelco discovered the first trapped worker on Saturday and another two early Sunday. "We deeply regret the discovery of two other colleagues who were found deceased," the miner said in a statement. "We stand with the families and the entire community in the anguish this situation causes." As of Sunday morning, rescue teams had cleared 24 meters of blocked passages, out of 90 meters that Codelco officials previously said could be necessary to reach the trapped workers, in the new Andesita section of the mine. The collapse occurred on Thursday around 5:30 p.m. local time, caused by one of the largest tremors ever recorded at El Teniente with the impact of a 4.2 magnitude quake. Codelco is investigating whether the cause was mining activity or natural tectonic shifts in the earthquake-prone country.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Cambridge school 'deeply saddened' after one of its students was murdered in the city outside luxury flats
A school in Cambridge said it is 'deeply saddened' after one of its students was murdered in the city outside luxury flats near the railway station. EF International Language Campuses Cambridge, a private school offering English language courses to overseas students, said they are 'working closely with the local police' after a 20-year-old student was 'fatally injured' on Friday. Police remain at the scene today after two men were arrested in connection with the murder, which happened on Mill Road shortly before midnight. A 21-year-old man from Cambridge was arrested on suspicion of murder while a 50-year-old man, also from the city, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. A witness to the event said she could hear a woman screaming outside the luxury flats as paramedics tried to save the man for 30 minutes. But despite the efforts of emergency services, the victim sadly died at the scene. The witness said the girlfriend of the man was in a distraught state but stayed with her boyfriend. The school where the man was enrolled have expressed their sadness at the young man's murder. In a statement, EF International Language Campuses Cambridge said today: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our adult students was fatally injured on Friday night in a public space. 'Emergency services responded immediately but the student tragically passed away. 'We are working closely with the local police, who are investigating the incident and have confirmed they made arrests. 'At this time, we understand the attack was carried out by a member of the public in an isolated incident. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. 'We are providing support to all students and staff affected by this tragic event and have organised counselling sessions. 'Our thoughts are with the student's loved ones during this incredibly difficult time and we have offered our full support. We will not be commenting further while the investigation is ongoing.' Both men remain in custody at Thorpe Wood Police Station.
