The suspect in a Polk County murder-suicide investigation died Wednesday at a Lincoln hospital, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Investigators believe that early morning Tuesday, April 7, 40-year-old Wesley Absher traveled to a business south of Shelby and shot 44-year-old Brian Gabel. Gabel, the owner of the business, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A woman who was also at the business at the time of the shooting was then allegedly kidnapped by Absher, investigators said, where she was taken to a second location and assaulted.
Authorities believe Absher then shot himself at that location. He was transported to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln with life-threatening injuries, where he was pronounced deceased on Wednesday.
The woman was able to drive herself to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Osceola shortly after 1:30 a.m. to report the incident. She was later taken to Columbus Community Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
NSP spokesman Cody Thomas said deputies initially requested assistance around 2 a.m. after the woman reported the incident. Law enforcement secured both scenes as the investigation began.
Investigators say Absher and the female victim were in the process of going through a divorce. The investigation remains ongoing.