Gallatin, CO: Husband Dead After Wife's Death Ruled Homicide

GALLATIN CO. -- The husband of a woman found killed on the side of a highway is now dead himself. Authorities say Russell Carmickle, 52, of Rosiclare, committed suicide Sunday in Vermillion County, Illinois.

It comes more than nine months after his wife, Dorothy Carmickle, 39, of Rosiclare, was found dead along IL-1 just south of Pounds Hollow Rd. in Gallatin County, and just a week after a coroner's jury ruled Dorothy's death a homicide.

Gallatin County Coroner Tony Cox says the official cause of death for Dorothy Carmickle is head trauma. Her mother, Sarah Wilken, says she died too soon and for no reason.

"Even if it was only a couple of seconds or minutes, she suffered during that time," Wilken said.

Wilken never got to say good bye to the daughter she called Dody. She has believed for months that her former son-in-law left Dody for dead.

"I want her to be able to…I can be able to tell people, 'I have closure; at least I have some form of closure to her death,'" she said. "But there has been no closure."

In reality, Wilken says she has had quite the opposite of closure. On the nine-month anniversary of her daughter's death, an unwelcome visitor to her Kankakee home. That person: Russell Carmickle, who was with Dorothy the night she was killed. He claimed Dorothy was driving, and jumped out of the car during an argument.

"He said, 'I wanted to pay my respects to Dody.' I said, 'You should have paid your respects when you murdered her alongside of that road that night.'"

Carmickle responded, saying, "I didn't do it." Wilken feels otherwise.

"I know you did it," Wilken told him. "I knew in my heart. I knew in my heart he did it."

But Wilken's hunch cannot be proven in court. She is now left wondering why it took nearly ten months to determine it was homicide.

"I'm hoping I get a little reaction out of Mr. Allen Roe," Wilken said. "I hope he steps up and explains why murder charges haven't been filed."

Gallatin County State's Attorney Allen Roe says he is reviewing the case. He tells News Three there are currently no other suspects.

By: Jeff Stensland