Arson/Stabbing Med For Depression 24/02/2009 Michigan Husband Stabs his Wife: Sets House on Fire: Is Shot Dead by Police Summary:

Paragraph 29 reads:  "Sikkema said she knew Bill Olbert sought counseling for anger issues in the past and that he took medication for depression ."


http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1362381853/Neighbors-reached-out-but-it-was-too-late-for-Bill-Olbert


Neighbors reached out, but it was too late for Bill Olbert



Zeeland man stabs estranged wife, fatally shot by police deputy


Dennis R.J. Geppert/The Holland Sentinel
Police tape surrounds the Zeeland Township home of Bill Olbert Monday, where he was killed by a sheriff’s deputy Sunday night. Olbert stabbed his estranged wife at her workplace Sunday, then fled to his home. Police found the home in flames before a deputy fired the shots that killed Olbert.
By MEGAN SCHMIDT
The Holland Sentinel
Posted Feb 23, 2009 @ 10:38 PM

Zeeland Township, MI ­

Just hours after leaving a note Sunday night, Feb. 22, asking neighbor Bill Olbert to give them a call, Kari and Ben Sikkema were visited not by their neighbor, but a police deputy warning them to wake the children and take shelter in their basement.An unbelievable scene was unfolding outside her window: a police sniper had taken up position on the neighbor’s lawn, which was bathed in floodlights and flanked by emergency vehicles. Smoke and flames rose from the house next door.

The night before, Mary Olbert called the Sikkemas, asking them to “keep an eye” on her estranged husband, Bill.

“She was afraid he would harm himself,” Kari Sikkema said.

Indeed. Before sunrise, one neighbor was dead and the other was fighting for her life.

TIMELINE

Saturday, Feb. 21 ­ Mary Olbert calls her next-door neighbors, the Sikkemas, asking them to check on her estranged husband, Bill Olbert, saying she is worried about him.

6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 22 ­ Ben Sikkema knocks on the door at Olbert’s home, 5997 Perry St. in Zeeland Township, but receives no answer. He leaves a note on the door asking Olbert to give the Sikkemas a call.

7 p.m. ­ The Sikkemas see Olbert leave his residence in his vehicle.

8:30 p.m. ­ Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies respond to Vriesland Country Store, at the corner of Byron Road and 64th Street, where Mary Olbert, 49, has been stabbed. She is taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

8:30 p.m. ­ The Sikkemas witness Olbert’s car speeding back down Perry Street as he returns home.

About 9:15 p.m. ­ Following information provided by at least one customer at the store, police arrive at Olbert’s residence to find it flames. Olbert is confronted by deputies. One deputy fires a shot that kills Olbert, although it is not yet clear why police opened fire on Olbert.

Police identified William John Olbert, 53, on Monday, Feb. 23, as the man who entered the Vriesland Country Store around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, and stabbed Mary Lynn Olbert in the chest sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Undersheriff Greg Steigenga of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said.

Mary Olbert, 49, appeared to be alone in the store at the intersection of Byron Road and 64th Avenue in Zeeland Township, police said.

She remained in serious condition at Spectrum Hospital, Butterworth Campus Monday afternoon, a hospital official said.

A customer who walked in shortly after the incident provided police with information that led them to Olbert’s residence, 5997 Perry St., about 40 minutes later, Steigenga said.

Police believe Olbert intentionally started a fire in the residence. Windows in the upper level of the home appeared burned and blackened Monday morning.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they confronted Olbert, Steigenga said.

At some point, Olbert was fatally shot by one deputy, but police have not said why the deputy fired at Olbert.

That deputy, who has not been identified, was placed on administrative leave, Steigenga said Monday, and the Michigan State Police have taken over investigation of the scene at the Olbert residence. Both are standard procedure in a police-involved shooting.

Flames, gunshots

According to neighbors, Bill and Mary Olbert lived together for about four or five years at 5997 Perry St., about as long as they had been married.

Bill Olbert came over to his neighbors, the Sikkemas’, home more than a week ago with news that Mary had moved out, Kari Sikkema said.

The Olberts were open about marital problems they were having, she said.

Mary Olbert called the Sikkemas Saturday evening asking them to check on her husband. Ben Sikkema knocked on the Olbert’s door the following evening around 6:30.

No one answered, so he left a note on the door, Kari Sikkemas said.

“It basically said, if you want to talk, here’s our number,” she said.

A couple hours later, around 8:30 p.m., the Sikkemas saw Bill Olbert speeding in his car down Perry Street back to his home.

Within minutes, police cars filled the street and flood lights lit up the Olberts’ driveway, Sikkema said.

As the Sikkemas watched the scene unfold from their window, Sikkema said she caught a glimpse of orange flame in the Olberts’ upper level window. The flames quickly engulfed the second story, she said.

She never heard gunshots during the incident, but saw a body being pulled from the home, Sikkema said. Emergency crews performed CPR in the yard.

Troubled marriage

Sikkema said she knew Bill Olbert sought counseling for anger issues in the past and that he took medication for depression.

“I know he had some problems with controlling his temper,” she said.

The Olberts did not have any children together, but both had children from previous marriages, Sikkema said.

The stabbing was prompted by domestic issues between the couple, police said.

“This is an estranged relationship, and there was some tension recently in the marriage,” Steigenga said.

A manager at the Vriesland Country Store declined to answer questions about the stabbing Monday morning.

She said Mary Olbert had been working as a cashier since the store opened in November and described her as an “awesome worker.”

“She’s a wonderful person who did not deserve any of that,” said the manager, who preferred not to give her name.

Bill Olbert was employed for the past four years in the maintenance department of Zeeland Farm Services, a company spokesman Darwin Rader confirmed Monday.

He said “disbelief” was one emotion that rippled through ranks of employees Monday morning who knew Bill Olbert.

“All I know is that most of the people came in this morning and were completely unaware of it,” he said.


Sentinel reporter Gary Brower contributed to this report.
 
Paragraph 29 reads:  "Sikkema said she knew Bill Olbert sought counseling for anger issues in the past and that he took medication for depression ."


http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1362381853/Neighbors-reached-out-but-it-was-too-late-for-Bill-Olbert


Neighbors reached out, but it was too late for Bill Olbert



Zeeland man stabs estranged wife, fatally shot by police deputy


Dennis R.J. Geppert/The Holland Sentinel
Police tape surrounds the Zeeland Township home of Bill Olbert Monday, where he was killed by a sheriff’s deputy Sunday night. Olbert stabbed his estranged wife at her workplace Sunday, then fled to his home. Police found the home in flames before a deputy fired the shots that killed Olbert.
By MEGAN SCHMIDT
The Holland Sentinel
Posted Feb 23, 2009 @ 10:38 PM

Zeeland Township, MI ­

Just hours after leaving a note Sunday night, Feb. 22, asking neighbor Bill Olbert to give them a call, Kari and Ben Sikkema were visited not by their neighbor, but a police deputy warning them to wake the children and take shelter in their basement.An unbelievable scene was unfolding outside her window: a police sniper had taken up position on the neighbor’s lawn, which was bathed in floodlights and flanked by emergency vehicles. Smoke and flames rose from the house next door.

The night before, Mary Olbert called the Sikkemas, asking them to “keep an eye” on her estranged husband, Bill.

“She was afraid he would harm himself,” Kari Sikkema said.

Indeed. Before sunrise, one neighbor was dead and the other was fighting for her life.

TIMELINE

Saturday, Feb. 21 ­ Mary Olbert calls her next-door neighbors, the Sikkemas, asking them to check on her estranged husband, Bill Olbert, saying she is worried about him.

6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 22 ­ Ben Sikkema knocks on the door at Olbert’s home, 5997 Perry St. in Zeeland Township, but receives no answer. He leaves a note on the door asking Olbert to give the Sikkemas a call.

7 p.m. ­ The Sikkemas see Olbert leave his residence in his vehicle.

8:30 p.m. ­ Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies respond to Vriesland Country Store, at the corner of Byron Road and 64th Street, where Mary Olbert, 49, has been stabbed. She is taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

8:30 p.m. ­ The Sikkemas witness Olbert’s car speeding back down Perry Street as he returns home.

About 9:15 p.m. ­ Following information provided by at least one customer at the store, police arrive at Olbert’s residence to find it flames. Olbert is confronted by deputies. One deputy fires a shot that kills Olbert, although it is not yet clear why police opened fire on Olbert.

Police identified William John Olbert, 53, on Monday, Feb. 23, as the man who entered the Vriesland Country Store around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, and stabbed Mary Lynn Olbert in the chest sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Undersheriff Greg Steigenga of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said.

Mary Olbert, 49, appeared to be alone in the store at the intersection of Byron Road and 64th Avenue in Zeeland Township, police said.

She remained in serious condition at Spectrum Hospital, Butterworth Campus Monday afternoon, a hospital official said.

A customer who walked in shortly after the incident provided police with information that led them to Olbert’s residence, 5997 Perry St., about 40 minutes later, Steigenga said.

Police believe Olbert intentionally started a fire in the residence. Windows in the upper level of the home appeared burned and blackened Monday morning.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they confronted Olbert, Steigenga said.

At some point, Olbert was fatally shot by one deputy, but police have not said why the deputy fired at Olbert.

That deputy, who has not been identified, was placed on administrative leave, Steigenga said Monday, and the Michigan State Police have taken over investigation of the scene at the Olbert residence. Both are standard procedure in a police-involved shooting.

Flames, gunshots

According to neighbors, Bill and Mary Olbert lived together for about four or five years at 5997 Perry St., about as long as they had been married.

Bill Olbert came over to his neighbors, the Sikkemas’, home more than a week ago with news that Mary had moved out, Kari Sikkema said.

The Olberts were open about marital problems they were having, she said.

Mary Olbert called the Sikkemas Saturday evening asking them to check on her husband. Ben Sikkema knocked on the Olbert’s door the following evening around 6:30.

No one answered, so he left a note on the door, Kari Sikkemas said.

“It basically said, if you want to talk, here’s our number,” she said.

A couple hours later, around 8:30 p.m., the Sikkemas saw Bill Olbert speeding in his car down Perry Street back to his home.

Within minutes, police cars filled the street and flood lights lit up the Olberts’ driveway, Sikkema said.

As the Sikkemas watched the scene unfold from their window, Sikkema said she caught a glimpse of orange flame in the Olberts’ upper level window. The flames quickly engulfed the second story, she said.

She never heard gunshots during the incident, but saw a body being pulled from the home, Sikkema said. Emergency crews performed CPR in the yard.

Troubled marriage

Sikkema said she knew Bill Olbert sought counseling for anger issues in the past and that he took medication for depression.

“I know he had some problems with controlling his temper,” she said.

The Olberts did not have any children together, but both had children from previous marriages, Sikkema said.

The stabbing was prompted by domestic issues between the couple, police said.

“This is an estranged relationship, and there was some tension recently in the marriage,” Steigenga said.

A manager at the Vriesland Country Store declined to answer questions about the stabbing Monday morning.

She said Mary Olbert had been working as a cashier since the store opened in November and described her as an “awesome worker.”

“She’s a wonderful person who did not deserve any of that,” said the manager, who preferred not to give her name.

Bill Olbert was employed for the past four years in the maintenance department of Zeeland Farm Services, a company spokesman Darwin Rader confirmed Monday.

He said “disbelief” was one emotion that rippled through ranks of employees Monday morning who knew Bill Olbert.

“All I know is that most of the people came in this morning and were completely unaware of it,” he said.


Sentinel reporter Gary Brower contributed to this report.