SWAT Persuades Man To Finish What He Started

"TUSCON, AZ - A 48-year-old man committed suicide inside his Three Points home Thursday night, shortly after admitting to police he’d killed a Tucson man last week, authorities said.

"James Becker died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

"Pacheco said Becker had been considered a person of interest in the slaying of 47-year-old Gary Wern, who was found dead inside his midtown home on Sept. 18.

"Tucson homicide detectives and deputies with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department had gone to Becker’s home in the 12900 block of West Highridge Drive, southwest of Tucson, around 5 p.m. Thursday to talk with Becker about Wern’s death, Pacheco said.

"Becker’s home, a double-wide trailer, was surrounded by a fence-in yard that contained about 12 dogs, Pacheco said. Authorities attempted to get Becker to come out to speak with them, then eventually got through to him on the phone. That’s when Becker admitted to a Tucson detective that he had killed Wern, Pacheco said.

"Becker told the detective he had gone to Wern’s home in the to confront him about his belief that Wern was having an affair with Becker’s wife, Pacheco said. Wern’s body was found Sept. 18 , in his home in the 2900 block of East Malvern Street. Police said Wern was shot to death.

"After admitting to Wren’s slaying, Becker also made suicidal statements. He then barricaded himself inside his home and refused to correspond with police, Pacheco said.

"SWAT and hostage response officers were called in, and when officers entered the home around 11:25 p.m. they found Becker dead."

From azstarnet.com...