Two killed in Ohio City, shooter dead too

VW independent staff/submitted information

OHIO CITY – Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach has announced that deputies are investigating the deaths of two people found in Ohio City on Sunday, along with the death of a third person involved in a Sunday morning incident.

According to Sheriff Riggenbach, his office received a call shortly after 8 a.m. from an individual stating that a friend, identified as Paul A. Boldman, 51, of Ohio City, had confessed to killing his girlfriend and another man. The caller said Boldman also stated he was going to kill himself and explained Boldman had left.

A deputy responded to the caller’s location to gather additional information while deputies continued working on the information initially provided.

Deputies obtained additional information by talking to several different people and made entry to a Washington St. home in Ohio City to check the welfare of the home resident. Once inside the house, deputies located a female and male subject who were both deceased as a result of gunshot wounds. They were identified as Shelby M. Coats, 29, of Ohio City, and Andrew C. Lause, 30, of Delphos.

Deputies secured the home and contacted the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to respond and assist in processing the crime scene.

Sheriff Riggenbach said at this same time, deputies also located a vehicle at a different Washington St. residence belonging to Boldman. A perimeter was set up around the home until a search warrant was obtained to enter. Once the search warrant was obtained, members of the Van Wert Police Department’s SRT team entered the residence with assistance from deputies.

Inside the home, deputies found Boldman with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, but still breathing. Officers and deputies immediately removed him from the residence and turned him over to the Van Wert EMS members who had staged nearby. The man was transported to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation also processed the scene. The Van Wert County Coroner’s Office and troopers from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted with this incident.