A man suspected of killing his wife in their Buckeye home had been in disputes with her for not following “his rules,” according to court documents. 

Police arrested Kenneth Eckert, 49, on May 7 after his wife, Jennifer Eckert, 49, was found shot in the back of the head with a “semi-automatic handgun” in their home, according to court documents. 

During a search of the house, detectives found “numerous handwritten notes and letters from the victim detailing her willingness to follow Kenneth’s rules and apologizing for being insufficient and breaking his rules,” court documents said.

Detectives found one response letter saying she “should not have become” his enemy, according to court records.

On May 7 at about 11 a.m., Buckeye police responded to a 911 call where a man vaguely told dispatchers that “an accidental shooting in his residence” had occurred, court records said.

When first responders arrived at the home in the 19700 block of West Sherman Street, they found the front door open and after calling inside, heard a man direct them to the master bedroom, Buckeye spokesman Jason Weeks said. 

They found Jennifer Eckert shot in the head and pronounced her dead at the scene, police and court records said.

According to court documents, officers observed several handguns and other firearms in the master bedroom and in other parts of the home. A single shell casing from a “small caliber” gun was found on the floor next to the bed where the shooting took place, court records said.

“Kenneth Eckert would not provide any information as to what took place,” Weeks said.

He was arrested for investigation of second-degree murder, Weeks said.

Kenneth Eckert would later tell detectives that “he was in the military for many years and that there are certain rules,” court records said.

The couple moved to Buckeye three months ago, according to Weeks, and police had no prior contact with them.

Kenneth Eckert is being held with bond set at $750,000, according to court records. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 15.

The investigation is ongoing, and the Buckeye Police Department asks anyone with information to contact the department at 623-349-6411 or by e-mail at [email protected].

 

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