Jacob E. Prichard, Huber Heights, Ohio man shoots & kills wife, Jaymee M. Prichard, co-worker, Jaime Gustitus then self in West Milton murder-suicide.

 

An Ohio man is accused of shooting and killing his wife and a coworker at a second crime scene before committing suicide at a third place.
Huber Heights, Ohio husband shoots and kills his wife at their house before moving on to Sugarcreek Township to kill a second lady.

Jacob E. Prichard, 34, of Huber Heights, Ohio, is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Jaymee M. Prichard, 33, whose body was located in the trunk of his car alongside his coworker, Jaime S. Gustitus, 25, before committing himself.

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 

Pictured, Jacob E. Prichard and wife, Jaymee M. Prichard of Huber Heights, Ohio and their three surviving children.

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.

Pictured, Jaime S. Gustitus of Sugarcreek Township, Ohio who worked with her alleged killer, at the Wright Patterson Air Force base.

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.