What Became of the murderer of Michael Turnbull

Some background on the following newspaper article excerpts can be found here.


BILL TOUGHENS INSANITY DEFENSE

"The House Judiciary Committee has introduced a bill that would make it tougher for accused criminals to plead insanity as a defense and ensure that those found insane were confined longer, said Rep. Elaine Wells, D-Carbondale. Wells pushed for the bill after Wichitan Gary Cox was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the slaying of Michael Turnbull, 18, who had lived in Wells' district. Prosecutors now must prove be yond a reasonable doubt that someone using insanity as a..."

Published on February 27, 1988, Page 4B, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)


JUDGE DENIES APPEAL FOR HOSPITAL CHANGE

"A man sent to a state mental hospital after killing one person and injuring three others in a 1987 shooting spree at a Wichita fitness club lost his bid Monday to move to a less restrictive hospital for treatment. A judge found Gary Cox, 33, not guilty by reason of insanity after Cox admitted to shooting four people at the Nautilus Fitness Center at 2234 S. Oliver. Michael Turnbull, 18, was killed and three others were wounded. Physicians later diagnosed Cox as a paranoid schizophrenic who..."

Published on November 23, 1993, Page 3D, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)


JUDGE WON'T LET INMATE SWITCH HOSPITALS

"A man sent to a state mental hospital after killing one person and injuring three others in a 1987 shooting spree at a Wichita fitness club lost his bid Monday to move to a less restrictive hospital for treatment. A judge found Gary Cox, 33, not guilty by reason of insanity after Cox admitted to shooting four people at the Nautilus Fitness Center at 2234 S. Oliver. Michael Turnbull, 18, was killed and three others were wounded. Physicians later diagnosed Cox as a paranoid schizophrenic who... "

Published on November 23, 1993, Page 3D, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)


GETTING TOUGH ON THE MENTALLY ILL

"TOPEKA In 1987, Gary Cox walked into a Wichita fitness center, pulled out a gun and opened fire, killing an 18-year-old man and wounding three other people. At Cox's trial, a judge agreed with doctors who said Cox was a paranoid schizophrenic who, at the time of the murder, hallucinated that he was about to be stabbed. The judge found Cox not guilty by reason of insanity and sent him to Larned State Hospital, where Cox remains a patient. To state Rep. Elaine Wells, R-Carbondale, ..."

Published on January 16, 1994, Page 1B, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)


SPA KILLER READY FOR RELEASE

"Doctors at Osawatomie State Hospital say the man who killed a teenager and wounded three people in a Wichita health club in 1987 is ready to rejoin society. Gary Cox, 35, has spent the past eight years being treated for paranoid schizophrenia. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Turnbull on Feb. 26, 1987, at the Nautilus Fitness Center, 2234 S. Oliver. Sedgwick County prosecutors can't talk about Cox's case until..."

Published on October 1, 1995, Page 1B, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)


HEALTH CLUB GUNMAN WILL NOT BE FREED \ JUDGE: PSYCHIATRIC CARE MUST GO ON
"Gary Cox - the man who killed one person and wounded three others in a 1987 shooting spree at a Wichita fitness center - will not be released from a state mental hospital, a Sedgwick County District judge ruled Friday. But District Judge Dan Brooks warned Cox's victims and their families that there is a chance he'll reconsider his ruling if Cox continues to make progress in the treatment of his paranoid schizophrenia. "It is progress of a sort that makes..."

Published on October 21, 1995, Page 1D, Wichita Eagle, The (KS)

Joan Doris Christensen (Herring) in CA Death Index

From the Social Security California Death Index, here is information about Joan Doris Christensen (Herring):

Name: CHRISTENSEN, JOAN DORIS
Sex: FEMALE
Birth Date: 3 Dec 1928
Birthplace: ARIZONA
Death Date: 13 Apr 1995
Death Place: MONTEREY
Mother's Maiden Name: DINKLAGE
Father's Surname: HERRING

Bessie M. Herring, obituary

Thanks to Cari for responding to my request for a copy of Bessie's obituary.

Boulder Daily Camera
Boulder, Colorado
Dec 20, 1976

Bessie M. Herring

Memorial services for Bessie Margaret Herring were held today at Frasier Meadows Chapel.

She was born in Ft. Scott, Kan., on Nov. 7, 1886, and died on Dec. 6 at the age of 90 in Frasier Meadows Manor in Boulder after an extended illness. She married Melvin M. Herring of Ft. Scott in 1918, and the couple moved to Arizona in 1922. Mr. Herring died in 1961. Mrs. Herring moved to Boulder in 1962.

Survivors are her daughter, Joan Keisel, Carmel, Calif.; sister Louise Copping, Chicago, Ill.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

This obituary has a great deal of information about the family I did not know. It also confirms other information I already have. Melvin passes away in 1961, I would guess in or around Phoenix, so I should be able to find an obituary for him.

One subject of interest is what became of Melvin and Bessie's daughter Joan. From information in this obituary, and that of Gary D. Kline, it seems Joan married Jack Keisel and moved to Carmel, Calif. This is in 1976. By 2002, Joan appears to have married a Mr. Christensen, and had passed away. This should help track down more information about Joan.

Gary D. Kline, obituary

My thanks to Timothy Bowman, of Lansing, Michigan, for answering my request for an obituary for Gary D. Kline.

Copied from Lansing State Journal;
Lansing, Michigan; Sat.March 9-2002.

Kline, Gary D.
Lansing
Age 54, died March 7, 2002. Born April 1, 1947, in Flint, MI, Gary was a Veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam as a 1st Lt. He was preceded in death by his father, Clifford and mother-in-law, Joan Christensen. Surviving are his wife of 31 years, Susan; daughter, Stephanie, and son Scott, both of Lansing; mother, Shirley of Mason; brother, Keith of Flushing; sister, Shelley McDaid of Fruitport; father-in-law, Jack Keisel of AZ; brother-in-law, Steve Keisel of CA. Private Memorial Services will be held. The family will receive friends at the Gorsline-Runciman Co. Ball-Dunn Chapel, 621 S. Jefferson, Mason for a memorial visitation Sunday from 2-4 PM.

RIP Gary D. Kline

Well, this isn't good news! The Social Security Index lists the following info:

Name: Gary D. Kline
Born: 1 Apr 1947
Died: 8 Mar 2002
State (Year) SSN issued: Michigan (1964)

If this is the Gary I'm trying to contact, it would explain my inability to do so! I'll have to look for an obituary.

So far, this is all I've found. The original online obituaries are no longer available at the Lansing State Journal.

Lansing State Journal... for many years. Kline, Gary D. Lansing Age 54, died March 7, 2002. Born April 1, ... ... Lansing; 4 sons, Gary (Kathy) of Grand Rapids, James (Elaine) of Saranac, Kevin ... ... , in Flint, MI, Gary was a Veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam as a 1st ... ... St. John, Howard Gary Leslie, MI Passed away March 6, 2002 at the age of 52. He ...
Lansing State Journal... Home, Mulliken. Kline, Gary D., 54, died Thursday. Arrangements by Gorsline- ... ... St. John, Howard Gary Leslie, MI Passed away March 6, 2002 at the age of 52. He ...
Lansing State Journal... Funeral Home. Kline, Gary D., 54, Army veteran, died Thursday. Private ... ... ; brother, Gary (Edna) Abent; sister-in-law, Margaret Abent and many nieces ...

Parents of William F. Dinklage

Here is a post about William F. Dinklage, Bessie's father, that comes from someone I have come across before regarding the Herring family I'm looking into, but I've never been able to contact. I'll have to see if the mailing address is one I have tried before. Bessie is the daughter of William F. Dinklage and his wife, listed below as Annice Rosetta Humphrey.

Author: Gary D. Kline
Subject: HUMPHREY/LYON/DINKLAGE/LITTLE/GOLDEN
Date: 01/24/1998

Email: GDKskills@AOL.com
Mailing address (optional):768 Wildemere Dr.; Mason, MI 48854-1352

Query: Early KS pioneer (i.e., before 1870), Horatio Winsted HUMPHREY (b. 17 Apr 1828 in VA, d. 28 May in Ft. Scott KS, buried in National Soldiers' Cemetery in Ft. Scott). Went on California gold rush in 1848-9, but returned to Pike Co. IL. Married Margaret Ann LYON (b. 15 Dec 1853 in Hampshire Co. WV, d. 23 Aug 1926) on 15 Dec 1853 in Pike Co. IL. Went to KS in 1856 to homestead at Uniontown, served as postmaster at Valley, and moved to Ft. Scott about 1866. Enlisted from Adams Co. IL at Quincy on 27 Feb 1864 as a private in Co. D, 5th regiment, IL Volunteers Infantry.

His children were:
Fielding Highland (b. 25 Oct 1855, d. 19 Oct 1909, unmarried)
Annice Rosetta (b. 2 Feb 1855, d. 1 May 1879, m. William F. DINKLAGE 1 May 1879, 7 children)
Lily Jane (b. 25 Feb 1959, d. 8 Jun 1886, m. Joseph S. GOLDEN, no children)
Ide May (b. 9 Oct 1869, d. ?, m. John H. LITTLE, 5 children)