Authorities in Ohio are investigating a tragic series of killings involving three people connected to the U.S. Air Force.
According to a press release from the West Milton Police Department, 1st Lt. Jaime Gustitus, 25, of Sugarcreek Township, was shot and killed early Saturday, Oct. 25, when Jacob Prichard, 34, of Huber Heights, allegedly broke into her apartment around 2 a.m. and opened fire.
Investigators say Prichard had already killed his wife, Jaymee Prichard, 33, before driving to the West Milton Municipal parking lot at 4:22 a.m. He reportedly took his own life a minute later near the open trunk of his car, where authorities discovered his wife’s body.
The sheriff’s office said Prichard intentionally left the trunk open “so officers who found him would also find Jaymee Prichard in the trunk,” citing details from surveillance footage reviewed during the investigation.
Officials are still working to determine when and where Jaymee Prichard was killed and to piece together the full timeline of events. Investigators have not yet identified a motive for why Prichard targeted Gustitus, who was described as a work acquaintance of the couple.
A statement from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirmed that Gustitus and Jacob Prichard were assigned to the Air Force Research Laboratory, while Jaymee Prichard worked for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Calls are confidential, free, and answered 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
