The following is a Press Release from Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach:

VAN WERT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE
11-24-2024

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach announced that deputies are investigating the death of two people found in Ohio City. Sheriff Riggenbach stated that on 11/24/2024 at approximately 8:09 AM hours, his office received a call from an individual stating that a friend had confessed to killing his girlfriend and another man. The caller said the friend also said he was going to kill himself. The caller explained the friend had left and was no longer with the caller. A deputy responded to the caller's location to gather additional information while deputies continued working on the information the caller initially provided.

Sheriff Riggenbach advised that deputies obtained additional information by talking to several different people and made entry to a home in Ohio City to check the welfare of the home resident. Once inside the house, deputies located a female and male subject who were both deceased as a result of gunshot wounds. Deputies secured the home and contacted the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to respond and assist in processing the crime scene.

The two victims in the home were identified as:

Shelby M. Coats age 29, of Ohio City

AND

Andrew C. Lause age 30, of Delphos

Sheriff Riggenbach said during this same time, deputies also located a vehicle at a different residence belonging to the individual who made the statements about killing two people. A perimeter was set up around this residence until a search warrant was obtained to enter. Once the search warrant was obtained, members of the Van Wert Police Department's SRT team entered the residence with assistance from deputies.

Inside the residence, the man deputies were looking for was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The man was still breathing. Officers and deputies immediately removed the man from the residence and turned him over to the Van Wert EMS members who had staged nearby. The man was transported to Ohio Health Van Wert, where he was later pronounced dead.

The man found inside this home, who was also the suspect in the two victim's deaths, was:

Paul A. Boldman, age 51, of Ohio City

Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation also processed this scene. The Van Wert County Coroner’s Office and Troopers from the Van Wert Post of The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted with this incident.

Sheriff Riggenbach stated the investigation into this incident continues.