Police Investigating Couple's Death in Mobile Home Park
Posted
Craig Brosman-
Kosciusko County law enforcement are still searching for answers to an apparent murder-suicide at Brown’s Mobile Home Park, south of Warsaw, Tuesday morning.
At approximately 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to 2798 S. Country Club Road, Lot 28, for a welfare check. When deputies arrived they found James Kinzer, 47, and Jane Ellen Kinzer, 46, dead from single gunshot wounds to the head.
An autopsy was performed Tuesday.
James Kinzer was found to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The autopsy couldn’t determine whether Jane Kinzer’s wound was self-inflicted.
According to Kosciusko County Coroner John Sadler, the incident remains under investigation pending toxicology by his office in conjunction with the KCSD.
Law enforcement also found an 11-page letter in the home addressed to family members.
KCSD Public Information Officer Sgt. Chad Hill said there is a good possibility that the incident was a suicide-suicide and not a murder-suicide.
Hill said the couple had several civil processes filed against them and judgments against them as well and that might have been the motive behind the incident.
“The husband had not had a job in a few years,” Hill said. “His last job was at Lowe’s. They also had minor medical history and the utilities had been cut off.
“It is very rare to find an 11-page suicide letter at the crime scene,” Hill said. “This is unheard of and I have not seen something that long in the time I have been with the Sheriff’s Department.”
Hill went on to talk more about the apparent suicide letter.
“They took some time to write something, this was definitely thought out. It is a very sad perspective that they came to that conclusion.” Hill said. “We are a small community and they felt that this was the only option they had left.”
Hill added that they found a .380 semi-automatic pistol at the scene.
The small mobile home community where the Kinzers lived was shocked at the news, but no one wanted to be identified with their comments for this story.
An elderly woman, who lived within earshot of the family, was taken aback when she found out what happened.
“We just saw it on the news, that is the first time we found out what happened,” she said. “I was surprised. They kept to themselves pretty much. I am so sorry to hear it.”
Another neighbor, who had lived directly across the street from the Kinzers, said they have lived there as long as he had.
“I have been here, left, and came back and they have been here as long as I can remember,” he said. “They usually kept to themselves. They had no kids. The majority of the people living here are older and they do not really talk with others.”
A spokesperson for the trailer court said the couple had lived in the trailer park since August 1995.
The spokesperson said they were quiet, kept to themselves and were never a bother.
The call for a welfare check came from neighbors at lot 27.
“I called it in,” he said. “I was the one they elected to call it in.”
