Brian Gabel, 44, was shot and killed at his hog farm, Happy Hogs LLC, in Osceola on April 6, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The gunman was identified as Wesley Absher, 40, by the same source. Gabel was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators believe Absher drove to Gabel's farm because his wife was at the business. After shooting Gabel, Absher kidnapped his wife and drove her to another location on the farm ground, where he assaulted her, police said. At the second location, investigators believe Absher shot himself, and the woman was able to drive herself to a police station, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Absher was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and died from his injuries the next day, as reported by KOLN.
Court records revealed that Absher and his wife were going through a divorce. He had previously been found guilty of second-degree assault and terroristic threats in a separate case that involved his wife. In that incident, Absher was accused of threatening his wife and assaulting her with a weapon on February 8. She told police that Absher had threatened to kill himself, but she was able to take away his gun. They went to the hospital, where she received treatment for a head injury, and Absher was arrested. On April 1, Absher took a plea deal and agreed to plead no contest to the charges in exchange for prosecutors dropping two counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony. He was released from jail on April 3, and his sentencing was set for June 10. Just three days later, he killed Gabel and attacked his wife.
The investigation is ongoing. A funeral was held for Gabel on Friday. He shared three kids with his former wife, and was remembered by loved ones as a doting father and passionate farmer.