WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Gurpreet Singh, who stands accused of killing his wife and three other family members in their West Chester apartment, will be extradited to Ohio.
Butler County officials incorrectly told WCPO on Wednesday that Singh had been booked into the Butler County Jail, but Singh remains in Connecticut.
Singh was arrested Tuesday in Branford, Connecticut, where family members said he was he attending a wedding. They said Singh told them that he had nothing to do with the gruesome shooting deaths that rattled West Chester Township's tight-knight Sikh community.
“We were shocked (by the arrest) because it happened so many months ago, and they questioned him initially, and I think he was there almost overnight,” one said.
Singh was handcuffed and questioned by West Chester police after they responded to the murder scene and found him outside.
“I remember he was telling us that they kept everything. His clothes, they were using cotton swabs under his nail and they were checking for everything that they could. He went home in a gown,” another relative said.
Newly released Butler County Court records say Singh used a 9mm handgun to kill his wife, her parents and her visiting aunt on April 28. The records say the charges are based on "observations of officers, physical evidence, statements of witnesses and statements of the offender."
Attorney Charlie Rittgers said he has been in contact with Singh's family and could be brought in as defense attorney.
Court records indicate Singh has an Indianapolis address. His family said he has a home there and was staying in Indianapolis before the wedding in Connecticut.
Here's part of what he said when he called 911:
911: “Your wife and your family are doing what?”
Singh: “They’re on the ground. They’re on the ground and they’re bleeding.”
911: “How many people are down?”
Singh: “Four. Four. Four.”
911: “You say they’re bleeding?”
Singh: “Yes they are.”
911: “OK. Have they been shot? Have they been stabbed?”
Singh: “I don’t know.”
The victims were:
- Singh's wife, 39-year-old Shalinderjit Kaur, shot three times. She was found on the dining room floor.
- Her father, Hakiakat Pannag, 59, shot in the head eight times. He was found with his head on a pillow in a bedroom.
- Pannag's wife, 62-year-old Parmjit Kaur, shot four times in the head and once in the arm. She was found lying on the living room floor.
- Parmjit's sister, 58-year-old Amarjit Kaur, who was visiting from India. She was shot twice in the head and also found in the living room.
Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said Singh could face the death penalty but that will be up to a Butler County grand jury.
“Four counts of aggravated murder ... if the grand jury determines it, that can result in a specification making it death penalty eligible,” Gmoser said.
