Autopsies of North Side couple scheduled for today
By Jared Council
Posted November 1, 2011 at 3 a.m., updated October 31, 2011 at 11:55 p.m.
Evansville police suspect a murder-suicide sometime last weekend led to the deaths of a married couple in their North Side home.
"Both subjects showed signs of trauma," said Evansville police Lt. Dan DeYoung. "It is believed they died of gunshot wounds."
Vanderburgh County Coroner's officials said John Buell, 46, and Mildred Buell, 56, were found dead at their 507 Herndon Drive residence.
Murder-suicide is a preliminary ruling, DeYoung said, and the deaths are still under investigation. Coroner Annie Groves said autopsies are scheduled for this afternoon.
Police arrived at the residence at 9:08 a.m. Monday after a neighbor called 911 concerned that he had not seen the couple, according to Central Dispatch officials.
DeYoung said officers entered the home and found the two, who had appeared to have been dead for possibly 36 hours.
DeYoung said officers don't believe the entry was forced, but there were signs of a struggle. He said officers recovered a firearm, but he wouldn't disclose the type.
DeYoung said detectives talked to several neighbors and look forward to speaking to anyone else who may have any information. He said police are uncertain if anyone else lives at the Buell residence.
"Nothing of significance that we believe were involving these individuals," DeYoung said about previous police runs to the address.
The news of the reported incident came as a shock to the Buells' neighbors.
"I didn't want to believe it," said Virginia Ryan, 44, who knew John Buell since elementary school.
She said John Buell was a nice, God-fearing man who loved his wife, and the two enjoyed activities such as participating in 4-H fairs.
"I gave him stuff to make necklaces," she said about Buell, "and he'd come by a couple days later and said, 'Oh yeah, we made the necklaces.'"
Buell also loved the outdoors and recently told Ryan's 13-year-old son he would take him hunting soon.
Ryan said she didn't know Mildred Buell too well. She said she doesn't know what led to the deaths, but said the two were at odds lately primarily because of finances.
Dorris Dixon, 47, who lives in the 500 block of Herndon Drive, said the couple were nice to their neighbors, and she can't recall them having any problems with anyone.
She recalled John Buell once ran over a stray cat that she later took to the veterinarian.
"He gave me money to help with the vet bill," she said.
Dixon said her husband often talked with John Buell, both of whom are Army veterans.
"I never expected anything like this," Dixon said. "He never led that he would do anything like that — if he did it."
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