STERLING, Kan. (AP) — A man suspected in the 2015 disappearance of his girlfriend shot and critically wounded a Kansas undersheriff who attempted to arrest him on a federal firearm charge, then killed his own father and shot a sheriff in the leg before killing himself during a standoff, authorities said Tuesday.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation senior special agent Steve Rosebrough identified the dead during a news conference as David Madden, a 37-year-old former Marine, and his father, 65-year-old Thomas Madden.
David Madden was indicted last week for illegal possession of an AK-47 assault rifle, federal court records show.
KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said Undersheriff Chad Murphy, 48, was aware that Madden was wanted on the federal charge when he attempted to stop Madden in his car near the small town of Sterling around 5:10 p.m. Monday.
Madden, who had a woman and child in the car with him, then shot Murphy four times, including once in the neck, KBI said.
Murphy was flown to a hospital in critical condition and Madden fled. Sterling is about 70 miles northwest of Wichita.
Madden then drove the three of them to his home in Alden to retrieve weapons, then the three of them traveled a couple of miles more to his father's home near Raymond, Rosebrough said.
Madden apparently killed his father before Sheriff Bryant Evans, 53, and a deputy arrived around 5:40 p.m. The sheriff was shot in the leg in an exchange of gunfire with Madden and was taken to a hospital in good condition.
Law enforcement subsequently surrounded the home. They found Thomas Madden's body first and his son's around midnight.
Rosebrough said it is unclear whether the woman and child accompanied Madden willingly. The woman, who left the house before David Madden was killed, has been located and is being interviewed. Rosebrough didn't know the relationship between Madden, the woman and child.
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman John Ham said it's searching the home for explosives, along with the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Madden had been under investigation in the disappearance of 22-year-old Megan Renee Foglesong, of Oneida, Illinois, who was last seen in Rice County in 2015. Former Rice County Undersheriff Brian Treaster told KAKE-TV in February that there have been six large searches for Foglesong and some small ones, too. He said previously that foul play was suspected, but didn't say why.
KBI searches of Madden's home in early 2017 led to the discovery of two wooden crates containing two dozen pipe bombs, each wrapped with baling wire and black tape, and an AK-47 assault rifle that had been stashed under his bed. Madden told KBI agents that he found the weapon in Fallujah, Iraq, while he was stationed there.
Federal weapon possession charges were not filed against Madden until earlier this month. It was unclear why there was a filing delay in the federal case.
Madden was also listed as an absconder from a program that supervises felony offenders. A Kansas Department of Corrections spokeswoman didn't immediately return a phone message, and online records provided no details about why he was listed as an absconder.
