Kenneth Baumruk

Background

Kenneth Baumruk came to the St. Louis County courthouse for a hearing in his divorce case.

The offence

During the hearing, Baumruk shot his estranged wife, Mary, in the neck while she was testifying that she wished to waive a conflict of interest involving her attorney. He then shot Pollard in the chest and his own attorney, Garry Seltzer, in the chest and back. Baumruk put a gun near his wife's head and shot her again, killing her. He then shot at the judge, who fled through the door behind the bench.

By the time Baumruk was subdued, he had shot nine people, including a bailiff and security guard, in various parts of the courthouse. Baumruk was shot nine times, including two shots to his head.

Investigation

After the shooting, which received much media attention, the county paid to double the number of security guards at the courthouse and to install metal detectors there.

Arrest

As Baumruk was being handcuffed, he asked two police officers if he had killed his wife.

Trial

Baumruk’s competence to stand trial has been questioned for most of the 15 years.

In the emergency room, Baumruk told a doctor he had shot Mary because of the divorce.

Sentencing

Baumruk was sentenced to death on March 20, 2007.

Baumruk showed no emotion as he heard himself sentenced to death again in 2007 for killing his estranged wife in a St. Louis County courthouse shooting 15 years earlier. He was described as having killed her during a divorce hearing and having wounded several people before a security guard ended the spree by shooting him in the head.

Appeals

The case involved a Supreme Court of Missouri opinion, SC83745 (State of Missouri vs. Kenneth Baumruk), Missouri Supreme Court Case Number SC83745.

Outcome

Baumruk was sentenced to death in 1994 and was resentenced to death in 2007.

Baumruk’s step-daughter, who was in the courtroom on the day of the shooting, said she wants to watch his execution. The execution was described as likely to be several years away.

Baumruk would be 68 next month and was described as the oldest prisoner in Missouri facing a death sentence. The oldest person executed in Missouri was Lambus Allen, who was 73 when he was gassed in 1944.

Other details

At the time of the divorce hearing in May 1992, the courthouse did not have metal detectors in place. Baumruk brought into the courtroom two loaded .38-caliber guns that he had purchased in the state of Washington. While Baumruk was shooting, a security meeting was occurring elsewhere in the courthouse.