A former University of Kansas soccer goalie’s husband called police Monday night to say that God had told him to kill his wife.
Lawrence police found Regan Gibb-Marek, 25, dead in the apartment she shared with husband Chad Marek, 26.
The couple married last fall, WDAF reported.
“He told us that God told him to do it,” Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart told the station.
Lockhart also said that there were “preliminary indicators that [Chad Marek] wasn’t mentally stable.”
“We call it being in psychosis, so obviously that is something we will be investigating as well as this case continues,” Lockhart said.
Investigators said an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday and will determine cause and manner of death. Detectives are looking into whether domestic violence was a factor but couldn’t say if they’d been called to the apartment in the past.
A GoFundMe set up to help defray costs said that Gibbs-Marek planned to return to school to study to be a physician’s assistant. Her former college team, where she last played in 2019, was devastated.
“Our soccer program is heartbroken to hear about the tragic loss of Regan,” KU Soccer Head Coach Mark Francis said in a statement. “She was a tremendous teammate and young woman, and touched so many during her time at Kansas. Regan will always be remembered for the impact she had both on and off the field. We share our condolences to her family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”
“We are devastated to hear about the loss of former KU student-athlete Regan Gibbs. Our KU family sends our love, support and prayers to Regan’s family, friends and former teammates as we all mourn her loss,” KU Director of Athletics Travis Goff said.
Meanwhile, Chad Marek is charged with murder and is being held on a $1 million bond. He is due back in court on May 24.
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[Featured image: Regan Gibbs-Marek/University of Kansas]
