http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/8363265.htm




Woman accused of killing husband

Police say Carla Kruger used a shotgun to fatally wound Jay Kruger, 47.

BY TIM POTTER

The Wichita Eagle


Jay Kruger "loved his wife more than anybody I've ever known," says his boss and neighbor, Jay Jones.

Kruger, 47, would e-mail his wife, Carla, from work several times a day.

They both loved to hunt, and that was part of their bond, Jones said.

But police say that late Sunday night Carla Kruger fatally wounded her husband with a shotgun at their home, in the 300 block of South Floyd, near Maple and Ridge Road. The home is in a neighborhood of manicured lawns and well-maintained 1950s ranch homes.

Kruger, operations manager for Celebrations Fun Equipment, was pronounced dead early Monday at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus.

Authorities said Carla S. Kruger, 48, was being held in the shooting under a $250,000 bond at Sedgwick County Jail. Police will present the case to prosecutors this week.

Jay Kruger, whom police found on a bedroom floor, apparently had been shot once with a shotgun in the neck or chest, police Capt. Nelson Mosley said.

Mosley said he couldn't confirm whether Carla Kruger had any visible injuries.

Police had responded a few nights earlier to a report of an argument between the couple but made no arrests, Mosley said.

If police had seen any visible injuries or been able to obtain independent evidence, an arrest could have been made in such a case, Mosley said.

Kruger's death was the eighth homicide in Wichita this year.

For several years, he had been operations manager for Celebrations, which rents entertainment equipment for large gatherings, said Jones, a co-owner of the company. The men also were neighbors.

Jay Kruger had a demanding job, sometimes supervising up to 100 employees in delivering and setting up equipment.

"He used quiet authority," Jones said.

"There were many times he worked an 80-hour week. There were times I had to flat tell him, 'You got to get out of here... go get your deer.' "

Jay Kruger couldn't wait for deer season, Jones said.

Carla Kruger sometimes worked part time for the company, Jones said.

On Monday, Celebrations employees stood around in disbelief over the shooting, he said.

"I can't understand it."



It's really sad to have heard that... I know my Dad was close to Jay... Just stupid things I hate to hear...

Ryan