Friday, May 14, 2010

Belchertown, MA: Retired police lt. found dead after search of Quabbin

Posted: May 13, 2010 09:02 AM

By WGGB Staff

BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (WGGB) -- A retired Belchertown Police Department lieutenant is dead after his body was pulled from a wooded area in Ware near the Quabbin Reservoir following a domestic altercation with his estranged wife.

William C. Zobka, 64, has been found dead with a gunshot wound to his head Wednesday night after state police launched a massive search for him and blocked off access to the Quabbin Reservoir, according to Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel's office.

Zobka had allegedly called the woman, who the district attorney identified as having had a previous domestic relationship, and asked her to meet him before 6 p.m. at a Lookout Tower, where he pleaded with her to reconcile their differences.

"When the female rejected Mr. Zobka's pleas to reconcile, he grabbed her by the head, pulled out a handgun and threatened to kill her and him," said Scheibel in a statement sent to the media Thursday afternoon.

The woman had been able to call 911 on her cell phone, talk Zobka into leaving and left in her car while he followed in his, according to the district attorney. However, Belchertown police met the couple as they moved toward the exit and Zobka allegedly turned around and went back into the forest, while the woman was taken to a safe location.

A massive search was launched involving state police from various units, including hostage negotiators and the Special Tactics and Operations Team. Police blocked access to the Quabbin Reservoir for several hours during the search for the armed officer.

According to the district attorney, a state police helicopter spotted Zobka's body and ground searchers responded to find him dead.

An autopsy had been scheduled with the State Medical Examiner's office, according to Scheibel.

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