Beth Frost is shot dead by husband James Frost in murder-suicide
A former college basketball player fatally shot his estranged wife, a medical examiner, at her Dallas office and then turned the gun on himself in what authorities said was a murder-suicide.
James Edward Frost II, 51, who played for the University of Missouri in the 1990s, and Beth Ellen Frost, 46, were found dead at the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Dallas Morning News reported.
James Frost is believed to have shot his wife and another employee at the office before killing himself, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told the paper.
The second victim was injured but the person’s identity and condition were not immediately released.
According to court records cited by the paper, the couple had been married since July 2001 and had two children together — a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy.
Beth had filed for divorce in May, citing a “conflict of personalities.”
That conflict made their marriage “insupportable.”
Lawsuits also indicated that James was being sued for large sums of money after not paying back debts.
One of those lawsuits came from his own father, James Frost Sr., who said the couple owed him $228,916 for multiple loans he gave them to purchase property and cover living expenses.
While the couple paid back approximately $75,000 of the loan and claimed to be “fully aware” they needed to pay the remainder, they refused to pay the rest when asked to do so by the elder Frost.
Jed was also being sued by State Farm Federal Credit Union over a loan of around $50,000, while Bank of America were asking him to repay $12,000.
Their divorce records show Beth filed for divorce on May 2 after over 20 years together.
Beth claimed in the divorce filing that their marriage was now “insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between Beth and Jed that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship.”
The filing goes on to state these reasons “prevent any reasonable expectation of reconciliation,” and concludes with “Beth prays for general relief.”
County Commissioner John Wiley Price said investigators are still looking into how Jed got into the building through an employee entrance.
“You can have the best security in the world, and you can’t stop people who are determined whatever evil they are going to carry out,” Price told Fox 4 News.
“He could’ve sat in the parking lot and done the same thing. He knew where she worked,” he added.