ZEARING — The population of Zearing is less than 1,000.
But on Wednesday night, that small community was shocked to learn that police were investigating a homicide.
70-year-old Gary Pillman allegedly stabbed his wife, 62-year-old Betty Pillman, to death Wednesday night in what officials say was a murder-attempted suicide.
Betty’s body was found outside their Zearing home.
But Betty and Gary weren’t just known to neighbors, but to Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald as well.
“He was the superintendent, she was the art teacher [in the Colo-NESCO district]”, Fitzgerald said. “The kids all knew them and knew each other.”
Fitzgerald’s family lived in Zearing for years, even going to school with Betty and Gary’s kids.
“It’s a very close-knit neighborhood,” Fitzgerald said. “I moved 10 miles south and I live in Colo now, the same school district community that’s very close together … a tragic loss for everybody.”
The Story County Sheriff’s Office says Gary killed his wife by slashing her with a knife before attempting to take his own life.
“She was just such a patient, kind person that. It’s like, the last person you would want anything to happen to,” a former student named Angela told Local 5. “I think everybody is still just kind of in shock. I mean, they were people that were a part of everybody’s life through the school district for so many years.”
Eventually, Gary went to a neighbor’s house to tell them what he did.
Gary Pillman is charged with Murder in the Second Degree and is being held at the Story County Jail on a $500,000 cash/surety bond.