Cause of death released for 3 Wright-Patt employees killed in murder-suicide

Jacob Prichard is alleged to have killed his wife, Jaymee Prichard, co-worker Jaime Gustitus, and then himself. The Prichards leave behind three children.
Jaime Gustitus (left) and Jaymee Prichard (right) are being remembered as loving, compassionate women after they were both murdered by Jacob Prichard last weekend. CONTRIBUTED/FILE

Jaime Gustitus (left) and Jaymee Prichard (right) are being remembered as loving, compassionate women after they were both murdered by Jacob Prichard last weekend. CONTRIBUTED/FILE

The cause of death for the two victims in an Oct. 25 double murder and the man accused of killing them has been released.

Jacob Prichard, 34, is accused of killing his wife, Jaymee Prichard, 33, and their Wright-Patterson Air Force Base co-worker, 1st. Lt. Jaime Gustitus, 25, before killing himself in the parking lot of the West Milton government center, according to police.

West Milton Police Chief Doyle Wright said Gustitus, who lived in Sugarcreek Twp., died of a gunshot wound, Jaymee Prichard of Huber Heights died of asphyxiation (strangulation), and Jacob Prichard of Huber Heights died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Wright said he did not have other details to release about the investigation.

All three worked at Wright-Patterson. The relationship between the Prichards and Gustitus is unknown as police continue their investigation.

Jacob Prichard reportedly went to 1641 Honey Tree Place in Sugarcreek Twp. and broke into an apartment. Around 2 a.m., he killed Gustitus and then fled, according to police. At 4:22 a.m., Jacob Prichard arrived at his next known location, the West Milton Municipal Building. He got out of his car, opened the trunk where his wife was found dead and took his own life, according to West Milton police. His death was captured on exterior security cameras, police said.

It’s unknown when Jaymee Prichard was killed.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Wright Patterson Office of Special Investigations, West Milton police, Miami County Sheriff’s Office and Sugarcreek Twp. police are working together to investigate.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jason Moore at 937-440-6085, ext. 3991.

The Prichards leave behind three young children.

Jaymee Prichard graduated from Centerville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s of business administration from Wright State University, “all while working full-time and excelling as a mother,” her family wrote in her obituary.

She worked for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a finance specialist, her family wrote.

Jaime Gustitus grew up in Novi, Michigan, with three brothers and two sisters.

She was top in her high school class and attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she graduated with a bachelor’s of science in operations research, according to her obituary. Gustitus also completed her master’s degree in operations analysis from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson, where she served as an Operations Analysis Officer specializing in mathematical and quantitative modeling.

A Meal Train fundraiser also has been created to support the Prichards’ three children.

One of two Sugarcreek Twp. police officers who responded to the scene the night of the double murder-suicide has resigned after being placed on administrative leave, township records indicate.

Sgt. Doug Evans was placed on paid administrative leave Oct. 28, and resigned from the department the next day. Township authorities said he was one of two officers who responded to the scene of Gustitus’ murder the night of Oct. 25.

Township Administrator Barry Tiffany would not give specific reasons why Evans was initially placed on leave, citing the ongoing investigation into the murder-suicide, but said that placing employees on leave is standard practice while “concerns about their conduct on the job” are investigated.