Wis. Son Killed Parents at Home, Then Died by Suicide After Police Pulled Him Over

A Wisconsin couple was fatally shot in their home by their son, who then died by suicide after a standoff with police.

Around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, Dane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Middleton home of David and Teri Pabst after a family member called 911.

At the home, deputies found David, the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technical Services Director, and Teri, an educator, dead. They learned that their 25-year-old son James, who was armed, had fled the scene in a white Honda Accord, per a Dane County Sheriff’s Office statement on Facebook.

A few hours later, at 4:19 p.m., Wisconsin State Patrol officers spotted James’ car on U.S. Highway 14 in Vernon County.

He pulled over after the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop.

“However, as deputies and State Troopers attempted to speak with him, he closed his window, and refused to exit the car,” the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said. “After approximately one hour without a response to their verbal commands, law enforcement tactically approached the car and determined James had died by suicide.”

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The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office said James died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said that after looking at evidence at the scene and conducting interviews, investigators believe James killed his parents, both 64, after 9:30 pm on Monday, July 7, in the family home they shared.

In a July 10 statement, the couple’s three daughters Lora, Danielle and Heidi said their parents were “proud grandparents to seven grandchildren and the most loving parents to all five of their children,” the statement read, 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.”

Teri, 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.”

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, David graduated from the 35th recruit class in 1986 and “dedicated nearly 40 years rising through the ranks from trooper to director.”

His daughters wrote that David 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.”

Referencing James, the couple’s surviving children wrote, “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.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.