A family has been ripped apart after a couple were executed by their adult son in the home they all lived in together.
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 Pabst, 25, is believed to have shot them with a legally purchased handgun around 9.30pm the night before, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said.
James fled the residence after the double homicide and was tracked down by state troopers Tuesday afternoon about 80 miles outside of Middleton.
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.
David and Teresa ‘Teri’ Pabst, both 64, (pictured together) were found dead in their home in Middleton, Wisconsin on Tuesday
Their son James Pabst (pictured during his high school years) is believed to have shot them with a legally purchased handgun around 9.30pm the night before
A relative called 911 around 2.20pm Tuesday after carrying out a welfare check at the Pabst home in the 8500 block of Stonebrook Circle (pictured)
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 Daily Mail.
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’.
James, who lived in the home with his parents, had fled the property not long before deputies arrived. Officers are pictured near the Pabst residence on Tuesday afternoon
David was the head of the Wisconsin State Patrol’s Bureau of Transportation Safety
Teri was a longtime educator who most recently worked at an elementary school in Madison
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’.
The couple were ‘loving parents’ to five children and the ‘proud grandparents’ to seven youngsters
‘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.’
- If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24-hour, confidential support.
