Timothy Ellingsworth

Foreclosure May Have Led To Homicide-Suicide

Couple Found Dead In Home Monday

POSTED: 6:23 am EDT October 17, 2007

JASPER, Ind. -- A house foreclosure may have led to a homicide-suicide of a husband and wife in southern Indiana.Police said Timothy Ellingsworth, 58, and his wife Sandra, 44, were found dead in their home Monday night of gunshot wounds.Investigators said they think Sandra shot her husband and then turned the gun on herself.

Murder-suicide update, death times very different

Update, 2pm Wed: The Dubois County Coroner tells 14 News that the murder-suicide in Jasper this week actually took place over an extended period of time.

According to Coroner Tony Matthews, Timothy Ellingsworth's time of death is estimated at late Friday night on October 12th or during the early morning hours on October 13th.

Sandra Ellingsworth's time of death is estimated to have occurred during the afternoon hours of Saturday, October 13th.

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin

UPDATE, TUE 5:32 PM: We're learning more about a story we broke Monday on 14 News at 10.

The Monday night murder-suicide on Berne Strasse is the first murder by a female in Jasper's history.

Police say Sandy Ellingsworth, 44, shot her husband, Timothy before later killing herself.

The coroner says it appears Timothy Ellingsworth had been dead some time before his wife. Neighbors are still reeling from Monday night's events.

They aren't only shocked this happened in this their neighborhood, but even more shocked at who was apparently involved, friends of theirs for years.

Their pets, or the weather is usually the topic of conversation for Kenny and Rita Cooper and their neighbor Clara Hollen.

But all that changed when their quiet neighborhood suddenly was lined with cop cars.

Neighbors say the Ellingsworths, found dead in their home from an apparent murder-suicide, were loved by everyone.

But they say they did notice a change in the couple in recent weeks. Rita Cooper says, "They've been very quiet over there and they would go in the garage door and I guess they would go in the back door, because we hadn't really seen them lately."

They say the fact that Sandy left behind children from previous marriages makes them saddest of all.

Clara says, "If she would have just let somebody know in the neighborhood that she was having problems, anybody would have helped her."

But despite what happened, Clara says that's not how the Ellingsworths will be remembered on their street, "I won't remember her this way, I will remember her as this kind girl who was always there to help. That's the way I will remember her."

Preliminary autopsy results show each died of a single gunshot wound to the head. A complete autopsy could take weeks.

Police aren't discussing a motive at this point in the investigation. Records show there was no criminal or domestic violence history.

However, Stefanie Silvey researched court records which showed the couple appeared to be having some financial issues recently.

Update, 11:30am: We have more information on Monday evening's shooting in Jasper.

Police tell 14 News that the deaths are a murder-suicide. They say that 44-year-old Sandra Ellingsworth shot her husband, 58-year-old Timothy Ellingsworth and then shot herself.

New Media Producer: Amanda Lents

Police continue to investigate a death in Dubois County, Indiana.

Jasper Police say the call came in just before 6 pm Monday from a Jasper subdivision. While few details are being released, crews were on the scene until late Monday night.

14 News will continue to follow this story and bring you more information as we get it.

New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin

Jasper police tell 14 News they are working a death investigation on Berne Strasse.

As of now, we are unsure of the manner and cause of the death.

We will continue to provide you updates, on-air and online, as information become available.