MIDDLETON, WI- A 25-year-old man is dead, along with his parents, after a murder-suicide in this Madison suburb, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department announced in a statement on Facebook.
People Magazine reported that last Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to the home of David and Teri Pabst after a family member dialed 911. On arrival, deputies found the couple dead.
David Pabst was the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technical Services Director, while Teri Pabst was an educator, the sheriff’s department said.
Sheriff’s deputies learned that their son James had fled the scene in a white Honda Accord.
Just over two hours later, Wisconsin State Patrol officers spotted the vehicle on U.S. Highway 14 in Vernon County. Officers effected a traffic stop, and a standoff ensued for approximately one hour.
“However, as deputies and State Troopers attempted to speak with him, he closed his window and refused to exit the car,” the sheriff’s office statement read.
“After approximately one hour without a response to their verbal commands, law enforcement tactically approached the car and determined James had died by suicide.”
It was determined that James Pabst died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, evidence at the scene showed James fatally shot his parents sometime after 9:30 pm Monday, July 7, in the family home.
The weapon used appeared to be a handgun lawfully purchased by James Pabst.
“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.”
In a statement released on July 10, the couple’s three daughters, Lora, Danielle, and Heidi, spoke glowingly of their parents, noting they were “proud grandparents to seven grandchildren and the most loving parents to all five of their children,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“If you were lucky enough to have encountered them in your life, you know what kind, generous, and empathetic people they were.”
Their mother, they wrote, “dedicated her heart and soul to the children she worked with, many of whom had complex needs. Our mom thrived when she could make a difference in the life of a child. 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.”
James Pabst graduated from the 35th recruit class of the Wisconsin State Patrol and over the ensuing 40 years, rose through the ranks, the Wisconsin State Patrol said.
Speaking of their father, the daughters wrote that he “came from a long line of public servants in the state of Wisconsin. He truly had a passion for keeping people safe on the roads of Wisconsin. He was the type of person who would drop everything to help someone in need. He showed up for people on their worst days, and his compassion was unmatched. His impact was felt all around the state and will continue to be for a long time.”
The three daughters addressed their brother’s apparent mental illness and noted that the family was “deeply impacted” by it.
“Our family, like so many others, was 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. For those of you who have walked a similar journey yourself or with someone in your life, please don’t give up; please seek help. Find someone to reach out to and grasp onto a thread of hope. Keep living because your life is precious.”
The sheriff’s office has not yet established a motive for the killings.
