COPS say the husband of a slain soccer star made a haunting confession on the day her body was found.
The husband allegedly claimed that divine intervention urged him to kill his wife, the local police chief said, as her cause of death remains a mystery.
4
4
Regan Noelle Gibbs, a 25-year-old former Jayhawks’ soccer goalie for the University of Kansas, died on Monday night after her husband called 911 from the apartment they shared, police said.
The Lawrence, Kansas officers who responded found her critically injured before first responders pronounced her dead.
Her husband, 26-year-old Chad Joseph Marek, was at the apartment at the time, according to the Lawrence Kansas Police Department.
Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart told Fox4KC that Marek called police himself, saying: “God had told him to kill his wife.”
“There is a lot more that I don’t have with me right now,” Lockhart added when asked if Marek expanded on the statement at all.
Police arrested him on suspicion of murder.
Authorities don’t yet know how Gibbs died. They said based on the condition of her body, they weren’t immediately able to determine a cause of death.
An autopsy is scheduled for May 26 and domestic violence is being investigated as a possible contributing factor, police reported.
Gibbs was a goalkeeper for the Jayhawks soccer program from 2015 to 2018.
Kristin Gibbs, Regan’s mother, held a news conference on Friday to share how she wanted her daughter to be remembered.
She, along with Regan’s four younger siblings, described Regan as a beautiful, kindhearted woman.
“If you had the chance to know Regan, you would quickly discover how much she loved Jesus,” Madelyn Gibbs said.
“That love transcended to everyone around her.”
Her sister Ashlyn said that Regan was always compassionate toward others. She had plans of going back to school to become a physicians assistant and perform mission work.
“She had faith in people,” Kristin Gibbs said. “Love for people and she trusted people.”
Regan’s mother said in the news conference that Regan wasn’t legally married to Marek, though local Fox affiliate WDAF-TV reported that the couple wed last fall, citing court records.
Regan’s mother, along with other relatives, shared harrowing claims that Marek manipulated Regan through her faith and isolated her from family.
“Her phone was suddenly not working,” Kristin Gibbs claimed.
“Conversations were limited to his phone but on speaker. No video allowed.”
Marek has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $1million bond, KCTV reported. He made his first court appearance on Tuesday and is expected back in court on May 24.
Kristin Gibbs said she wants anyone in a situation similar to Regan’s to seek help.
“I’m sure the many people who have had a loved one involved in a similar situation can relate to the frustration of seeing it happening, feeling helpless but never expecting this kind of tragic ending,” Kristin Gibbs said.
A GoFundMe has been organized to help cover Regan Gibbs’ funeral costs.
4
4
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The US Sun team?