West Milton, Ohio suicide: Jacob E. Prichard, Huber Heights man shoots wife Jaymee M. Prichard dead, places her body in trunk of car before driving over to shoot & kill Wright Patterson Air Force Base co-worker, Jaime S. Gustitus before making way to West Milton Municipal Building to kill himself. All three were known to each other. No known motive.
An Ohio man is alleged to have shot and killed his wife along with his co-worker at a second crime scene before then taking his own life at a third location in a suspected murder-suicide.
Huber Heights, Ohio husband shoots & kills wife at their home before making way over to Sugarcreek Township to kill second woman
Jacob E. Prichard, 34, of Huber Heights, OH, is alleged to have shot and killed his wife, Jaymee M. Prichard, 33, whose body was discovered in the trunk of his car along with his coworker, Jaime S. Gustitus, 25, before taking his own life.
Notice of the calamity came just after 2 a.m, Saturday in Sugarcreek Township, when a resident called 911 after hearing someone breaking into a nearby residence.
‘The glass door shattered. I think they shattered her door,’ the caller told dispatchers according to WHIO. She said she then saw a man outside who warned her he had a gun. ‘I opened up my back door, and he said he had a gun, to get back at my house. And he hopped off their patio and left,’ she said.
What was the connection between husband and two women?
Police later identified that man as Jacob Prichard, who investigators say fatally shot Gustitus inside her condo in the 1600 block of Honey Tree Place.
Responding Sugarcreek officers attempted to reach Gustitus by phone around 2:38 a.m. but received no response.
West Milton Police Chief Doyle Wright said that Jacob Prichard and Gustitus worked together at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, but otherwise their relationship was unclear.
Investigators believe Prichard shot and killed his wife, Jaymee, before shortly after traveling to Gustitus’ residence to shoot and kill her. Prichard is alleged to have then driven off after shooting her before arriving at the West Milton Municipal Building, in West Milton.
Surveillance cameras captured him parking in the facility’s safety exchange zone just on 4 a.m. Police said Prichard is seen on surveillance tape getting out of the car, opening the trunk of his vehicle where the body of his dead wife lay before then taking his own life. A handgun was found beside his body.
Double murder-suicide involved 3 locations
Officers discovered the scene at 5:08 a.m., after noticing the vehicle in the empty parking lot.
Chief Wright said Prichard had wanted authorities to find his wife’s body in the trunk, though investigators are still working to determine his motives and why he chose the municipal building as the location of his final act.
All three parties had known each other and had worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Chief Wright said.
Nevertheless it remained unclear why the husband had targeted the second woman.
In all, officials said there were three crime scenes; Huber Heights where it is believed Pritchard at some point earlier that evening killed his wife. Sugarcreek Township, where he drove to kill the second woman and the West Milton Municipal Building where he took his own life.
Community members described Jaymee Prichard as a devoted mother and kind neighbor deeply involved in local activities. Jaime Gustitus was remembered as a young professional with a bright future and a warm spirit.
The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to piece together the timeline of events and the circumstances leading up to the double murder-suicide.
Jacob and Jaymee leave behind three children.
West Milton police said they are working with all four agencies connected to the incident as well as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Wright Patterson Office of Special Investigations.
Anyone with information on the deaths is asked to call Miami County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jason Moore at 937-440-6085, ext. 3991.
