Slain Doctor Told Police Wife Threatened To Kill Him

GALVESTON, Texas -- A doctor who police say was shot to death by his 10-year-old son had a troubled relationship with his wife. The man told police at one point that she had threatened to kill him by injecting him with insulin, records show.

Video

Father's Fatal Shooting Resembles 20-Year-Old Tragedy Taped Conversations Reveal Accusations, Allegations From Bitter Breakup

That alleged death threat came near the January 2002 collapse of the 13-year marriage between Rick Lohstroh and his nurse wife, Deborah Geisler, the Houston Chronicle reports in its Wednesday editions.

It was just one in a string of arguments that repeatedly brought police to the couple's newly built Friendswood home and resulted in the arrest of each on family violence charges at different times, according to records released Tuesday by Lohstroh's divorce lawyer.

Lohstroh, 41, died Friday after police said his 10-year-old son used Geisler's pistol to shoot him. Lohstroh was shot in his vehicle when he went to his ex-wife's west Harris County home to pick up the 10-year-old and a younger brother for a week's visitation at his Friendswood home.

The 10-year-old boy remains in a Harris County juvenile-detention facility.

Lohstroh and Geisler fought over a variety of issues, including child custody, money and alleged sexual affairs before their divorce became final in May 2003.

The argument after which Lohstroh told police his diabetic wife threatened to inject him with the potentially fatal drug insulin occurred in October 2001.

Lohstroh called police to the couple's Friendswood house after the alleged threat. Officers ended up arresting Geisler on a misdemeanor assault charge after hearing Lohstroh's complaint.

Geisler's attorney, Chris Tritico, said he did not know enough about the insulin allegation to comment.

Geisler said her sons hated living at their father's home every other week and has maintained that Lohstroh sexually abused the older boy between August 2000 and November 2001.

Lohstroh denied the allegations. He took and passed two polygraph tests showing he did not abuse his son, according to the police records.

Months after Lohstroh was cleared of the allegations, he recorded several conversations with Geisler.

Lohstroh: "It worked the last time you lied, Deb, why not lie again?"

Geisler: "Oh no, I didn't lie!"

Lohstroh: "You lied."

Geisler: "No."

Lohstroh: "Two detectives said you were not credible."

Geisler: "Oh wait until you get the next round."

Lohstroh: "Tell me what the next round is, Deb?"

Geisler: "Oh, stay tuned."

Investigators said they are now taking a closer look at Geisler's allegation and? the couple's bitter breakup.

In a taped interview with Carmen Sedgwick of the Children's Advocacy Center in Galveston in April 2004, the older boy, who was in the second grade, said his father had sexually abused him.

Webster clinical psychologist Sherri Corning was unable to establish whether the older boy was making up the abuse, the police report said. She concluded that the majority of the issues stemmed from the boy witnessing domestic violence between his parents.

Previous Stories:

August 31, 2004: Girlfriend, Colleagues Defend Slain Doctor
August 30, 2004: Boy Suspected Of Fatally Shooting Father To Remain Detained
August 27, 2004: Constables: Boy, 10, Shoots Father To Death