Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Ozark, MO: Shooting suspect found dead

Tara Muck
News-Leader

Ozark -- The hunt for a man suspected of killing an Ozark woman ended Tuesday when the suspect, stopped by a police road block, shot himself after a 10-minute chase in Webster County.

Gerald "Jerry" H. Kubowicz of Ozark was found dead in his truck from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after authorities stopped him off Highway W north of Interstate 44, Christian County Prosecutor Ron Cleek said.

Kubowicz was suspected of shooting his mother-in-law, Stephanie Regan, 65, multiple times Monday night in her home.

Christian County Sheriff Joey Kyle said Tuesday that Regan managed to call police about 8 p.m., saying she had been shot in her home at 3511 N. Bobolink, in the Quail Run subdivision.

Regan was found dead in her kitchen when emergency personnel arrived.

Christian County Chief Deputy Brian Cathey said Kubowicz was identified as the suspect Monday night, and authorities issued a news release Tuesday morning asking citizens to be on the lookout for the suspect's vehicle.

Cathey said Kubowicz was located with the help of cell phone tracking technology and a Missouri Highway Patrol helicopter.

"We were giving them (helicopter) coordinates based on where the cell phone pings were," Cathey said. "They were able to locate him, and the Webster County Sheriff's Office was able to get behind him."

Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said he and several other law enforcement officials set up a road block about 2 p.m. on Brinkley Road. Kubowicz stopped in the middle of the road.

Cole said the suspect turned the gun on himself before officers were able to start negotiating with him.

No officers were injured.

Other agencies assisting in the search were the U.S. Marshals Task Force, the Greene County Sheriff's Department and the Ozark Police Department.

Officials aren't sure what led to the dispute between Regan and Kubowicz.

Online court records show that Cindy Kubowicz -- Gerald Kubowicz's wife and Regan's daughter -- had filed for divorce June 28.

Cathey said Cindy Kubowicz was out of state at the time of the shooting and during the search for her estranged husband.

Meanwhile, citizens are coming to terms with the death of Regan, who was active and well known in the community.

Regan was a longtime board member of the Ozark Fire Protection District, serving as secretary. She also was a case manager with the Christian County Coalition on Aging.

Fire district board President Anthony Appleton, who is also an officer with Ozark Police Department, said the news shocked him.

"I think it's all a little bit surreal, still. You didn't want to believe it was true," Appleton said. "It's pretty somber around the fire department right now. She was an integral part of everything that went on there."

The shock was compounded as Ozark firefighters, who are first responders, responded to the call when it first came in.

Appleton said the department gave a debriefing on the incident and have chaplains available for staff.

As an extra precaution, Appleton said Ozark Fire Chief Darren White issued a lockdown on the fire stations Tuesday while the suspect remained at large. Except for answering calls, no one was allowed in or out of the stations.

Cleek said he was in the process of filing charges against Kubowicz, but they were never filed.

Additional Facts
Chronology
- Stephanie Regan was found dead at her home in Ozark.
Tuesday afternoon:
- Authorities track killing suspect Gerald Kubowicz to a location in Webster County by his cell phone
- A road block is set up off Highway W. The suspect stops his car.
- Kubowicz shoots himself before authorities are able to negotiate with him, police say.

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