COLUMBUS, Ind. — A Bartholomew County judge denied a Columbus woman’s request for a protective order against her estranged husband just 10 days before police found both of them dead from gunshot wounds in a local residence.
On Dec. 9., Bartholomew Superior Court 2 Judge Jon Rohde denied Julie A. Schmidtke’s request for a protective order against her estranged husband Charles Schmidtke, court records state. Rohde is Columbus’ former police chief.
Jon Rohde
Columbus police found Julie Schmidtke and Charles Schmidtke both dead on Dec. 19 in a residence on the 2200 block of Sumpter Court, according to investigators. The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office later determined that Julie Schmidtke died from multiple gunshot wounds to her body, while Charles Schmidtke died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
A press release by the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office last week said that Columbus Police Department officers investigated after receiving a report that Charles Schmidtke had entered the residence and possibly shot his wife.
Columbus police have declined to release further details about the case, saying it is under investigation.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
