Air Force base worker kills wife, lieutenant and himself in double murder-suicide

An Air Force base worker killed his wife and a lieutenant before taking his own life in the parking lot of their sleepy Ohio town’s municipal building early Saturday morning, authorities said.

The bloodshed began late on Oct. 24 after Jacob Prichard, 34, broke into 1st Lt. Jaime Gustitus’ apartment in Sugarcreek Township, roughly 18 miles south of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where they both worked, WDTN reported, citing West Milton police.

Police said that Prichard killed Gustitus, the lone resident in the apartment, though the manner of her death is still unclear.

After leaving the apartment, Prichard murdered his 33-year-old wife, Jaymee, before he killed himself in the parking lot of the West Milton Municipal Building, according to the report.

Prichard was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 and his wife was found dead in the open trunk of their car, police said.

The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirmed the trio of deaths in a press release.

Authorities surmised that Prichard, his wife and Gustitus knew one another through their work, but the exact nature of their relationships are unclear.

The Air Force base confirmed that Prichard and Gustitus both worked in part of the Air Force Research Laboratory while Jaymee was in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, according to the release.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones affected. We stand with them as they navigate this unimaginable pain, and we offer our sincerest condolences to all impacted by this heartbreaking loss,” said Lt. Gen Linda Hurry, Deputy Commander, Air Force Materiel Command.

“We are committed to fully investigating this incident and ensuring the families and co-workers of the victims receive the support they need during this difficult time.”

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation with support from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and local law enforcement.

Before working at the Air Force base, Jaymee enjoyed success at a rental photo booth company that Jacob co-founded. She and Jacob graduated from Wright State University.

Jaymee, who graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology, had a passion for business since she was young and first helped her stepfather do data entries for his own cellphone retail stores, according to a 2018 article from Wright State Newsroom.