Well-known Merom resident dies after attempting early morning murder-suicide

By Arthur Foulkes
The Tribune-Star

MEROM November 09, 2007 09:06 am

— A Merom man was shot by his father-in-law early Thursday, who then turned the gun on himself, police said.
The shootings, which took place around 6 a.m., apparently occurred in the driveway of the home of Oscar C. Thompson, 74, a well-known Merom resident.
According to a preliminary Indiana State Police investigation, Thompson shot Travis Beard, 36, in the head while the victim sat in his car preparing to leave for work, police said.
Thompson then shot himself fatally in the head, according to the preliminary report.
Beard was taken to Sullivan County Community Hospital before being airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was listed in fair but stable condition later Thursday.
“I didn’t know he was having any problems,” said Darrel Bradford of Merom, who had known Thompson for several years. The two men had spoken Tuesday and Thompson did not indicate anything was wrong. “I just didn’t see it coming,” Bradford said.
State Police would not comment on a possible motive in the shooting other than to say it resulted from a domestic argument between the pair.
Beard is married to Monica Beard, the granddaughter of Thompson, who legally adopted her as his daughter, police said.
The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department is assisting in the investigation, State Police officials said.
The Beards had been living at Thompson’s home since shortly after Thompson’s wife, Janice, died in August, neighbors said.
“You could see a marked difference” in Thompson after his wife’s death, said John Sullivan, owner of the Meleah Cafe next door to the Thompson’s home. “He was never really the same” after her death, he said.
Oscar Thompson had owned the cafe before selling it to Sullivan about one year ago, Sullivan said. Thompson was in the cafe Tuesday and gave no indication anything like Thursday’s shooting was going to happen, Sullivan said.
Thompson was active in politics in Merom and was the kind of person who would do you a favor and not expect anything in return, Bradford said.
Merom is a village of about 300 residents, southwest of Sullivan. The town is best known for its scenic bluffs that overlook the Wabash River.
Things like Thursday’s shooting do not happen in Merom, Sullivan said, shaking his head inside his cafe while local residents gathered around a television to watch a Terre Haute TV news broadcast originating right outside.
“When something like this happens, it really shakes you to the bone,” Sullivan said.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.

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