**James Pabst Identified in Town of Middleton Double Homicide-Suicide: Parents David and Teresa “Teri” Pabst Fatally Shot in Tragic Family Incident**

James Pabst Identified in Town of Middleton Double Homicide-Suicide: Parents David and Teresa “Teri” Pabst Fatally Shot in Tragic Family Incident

1. Evening of Monday, July 7

   • Between approximately 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., 25-year-old James Pabst allegedly shot his parents, David and Teresa “Teri” Pabst, inside their shared home in the 8500 block of Stonebrook Circle in the Town of Middleton, Wisconsin

2. Tuesday morning, July 8

   • A family member, concerned after the couple failed to arrive at a planned destination, entered the home and discovered both 64‑year‑olds deceased. Deputies arrived at approximately 2:21 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, July 8

   • James left Middleton, heading west on U.S. Highway 14 in Vernon County. The Wisconsin State Patrol located his vehicle and executed a traffic stop around 4:19 p.m., but he refused to exit. After about an hour, authorities found that he had died by suicide inside the vehicle

🔍 Victims

• David Pabst, 64

  • Director of the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technical Services. He served nearly 40 years in public service, rising from trooper to bureau director since his 2013 appointment

• Teresa “Teri” Pabst, 64

  • A former educator with the Middleton‑Cross Plains Area School District (2017–2022), serving as a special education teacher, paraeducator, and case manager, especially noted for her compassionate work with life-skills students

🧒 Suspect: James Pabst

• Age: 25

• Relationship: Son of David and Teri

• Weapon: A handgun legally purchased by him

• Final Act: Took his own life during a standoff with Vernon County law enforcement after refusing to leave his vehicle .

🛑 Law Enforcement Statements

• Sheriff Kalvin Barrett (Dane County Sheriff’s Office) emphasized the agency’s dedication to uncovering the full circumstances behind the murders and ensuring closure for the family

• Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson confirmed no shots were fired by law enforcement during the stop and expressed deep sorrow for the families impacted

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin State Patrol released a joint statement mourning “our longtime colleague” and shared heartfelt condolences

🏘 Community Response

• Neighbors described the usually peaceful neighborhood as “shocked” and struggling to reconcile the quiet streets with such a horrific act .

• Teri’s former school, Kromrey Middle School, remembered her as a kind, dedicated educator and valued member of the school community

🔎 What’s Next

• Autopsy results and formal determinations regarding cause and manner of death for David and Teri are pending from the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office

• The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office continues reviewing the vehicle stop and subsequent events in Vernon County

• Dane County investigators will pursue a full reconstruction of the timeline and motives behind the shootings.

💔 In Summary

• Monday night (July 7): James allegedly shoots his parents in Middleton.

• Tuesday morning (July 8): Their bodies are discovered around 2:20 p.m.

• Later that afternoon: James dies by suicide after a standoff with authorities in Vernon County.

This deeply tragic incident has left a community in mourning, a state patrol agency reeling, and investigators working to piece together the events that led to this devastating loss.