Sheriff confirms June shootings were murder-suicide

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Forensic evidence confirmed a double shooting last summer was a murder-suicide, Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf said Thursday.

The bodies of Shawn J. Galeski, 36, and his girlfriend, Jamie L. Cole, 29, both of Perryville, were found June 14 in a locked room at Galeski's home on Route E, Schaaf reported in June.

Based on physical evidence at the scene, deputies suspected the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide rather than a double suicide but waited for forensic test results to confirm that, Schaaf said.

When the results came back, authorities concluded Cole shot Galeski before turning the gun on herself, Schaaf said.

"It came down to gunshot residue and where we found the weapon," he said. "She was in possession of the weapon herself, and he had no gunshot residue on his hands, so he did not fire the weapon."

Cole's motive is unknown, Schaaf said.

Online court records show Galeski was served with a full order of protection in January 2003 after being accused of adult abuse. In February 2003, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of delivery or possession of a prohibited item at a jail.

"We had dealt with Galeski some in the past, but we hadn't had any trouble with him lately," Schaaf said in June.

Cole's only encounter with police was a 2012 incident in which she apparently was caught with drug paraphernalia after being stopped for driving without adequate taillights, online court records show.

Cole pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanors in connection with that case.

Schaaf said to his knowledge, neither Galeski nor Cole tested positive for drugs at the time of the shooting.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Route E, Perry County, MO