Orange : Two Shooting Deaths Ruled Murder, Suicide

The Orange County coroner’s office ruled Thursday that Gilbert Marvin Schultz, 66, and his wife, Rita Mae Schultz, 56, died of gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide.

The bodies were found at 7 p.m. Wednesday by police who forced their way into the couple’s mobile home after telephone calls and knocks at the door went unanswered, Orange police spokesman Bob Gustafson said.

Police found Rita Mae Schultz’s body on a bed. Her husband, whose body was found in a chair next to the bed, apparently died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Gustafson said.

Residents of Carriage Mobile Homes Estates at 201 Collins Ave. called police at 6:15 p.m. when they heard gunshots at the mobile home. Witnesses said Gilbert Schultz shot his wife in the face as she sat in her car, Gustafson said.

He added that neighbors said they heard more gunshots after seeing Schultz drag his wife into the mobile home.

Dale Schultz of Mission Viejo, Gilbert Schultz’s son, told police that his father called him from the mobile home and said he had killed his wife and would kill himself, Gustafson said.

The couple, married eight years, apparently had serious disagreements over the last several months, prompting her to move to an apartment in Tustin shortly before the shootings, Gustafson said.