Sheriff Dave Marshak said he cannot remember a time when there were as many overlapping homicide investigations in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has investigated eight homicides in the last two months; a ninth homicide was investigated earlier in the year. There were a total of five homicides reported in Jefferson County last year, down from 11 homicides in 2024.
“Based on the information I have reviewed, this is the most homicides the Sheriff’s Office has investigated in such a short period of time,” Marshak said. “The older records I have reviewed show that even during some of our more violent years, the annual numbers were generally in the single digits.
“One challenge in making historical comparisons is that different sources count homicides differently. Some statistics are countywide, while others reflect only cases investigated by the Sheriff’s Office.”
Marshak said he understands why residents are concerned following the recent rash of homicides. He also said Jefferson County has not suddenly become an unsafe place to live and points out that many of the homicides have not been random acts of violence.
“Many have involved domestic relationships, family members, acquaintances or disputes between people who knew one another,” Marshak said. “That distinction doesn’t make the loss of life any less tragic, but it is important context for residents concerned about their safety.”
Marshak said residents who fear they may be in danger because of disputes should not hesitate to contact the Sheriff’s Office. He said deputies are trained to deescalate potential violent situations.
“If you know someone involved in a volatile domestic situation or see a dispute escalating toward violence, don’t wait until someone gets hurt to seek help,” he said. “Call us and give us an opportunity to intervene. We would much rather respond to a situation before violence occurs than investigate another homicide after it is too late.”
Violent day
Deputies were called to investigate two domestic-related homicides within hours of each other last week.
On Sept. 10, the Sheriff’s Office was first called about 7:30 a.m. to a home in the 6200 block of Dulin Creek Road in House Springs, where Corey R. Bicklein, 49, allegedly shot and killed his wife, 49-year-old Sarah Bicklein.
Negotiators spent about five hours on the phone with Corey Bicklein before SWAT members arrested him about 1:15 p.m. when Corey Bicklein came out of the home and surrendered.
Marshak said many of the deputies who were at the House Springs home were called later that evening to the second domestic-related homicide.
At 9 p.m., Catherine M. Koechling, 63, allegedly shot her ex-husband, 61-year-old Eric Koechling, at a home in 2600 block of Breakwater Drive in Imperial.
Eric Koechling was found across the street from the couple’s home. He was bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound to his stomach, and he died while being treated at an area hospital, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Catherine Koechling had barricaded herself inside the home, and the Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Team and SWAT members spent hours negotiating with her before she surrendered and was arrested, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Sept. 10 was an extraordinarily busy day for our organization,” Marshak said. “We have an extremely capable staff, but Sept. 10 is a good example of how quickly two major incidents can stretch our resources.
“We ask a great deal from a relatively small number of people, and many of the same deputies, detectives and specialized personnel are repeatedly called upon to handle major incidents, lengthy investigations and court obligations while still maintaining their normal responsibilities.”
Homicides
Of the nine homicides the Sheriff’s Office has investigated this year, investigators identified nine suspects and charges were filed against seven people as of Sept. 11.
The first reported homicide in Jefferson County this year was on Feb. 14 at a home in the 2600 block of Winding Valley Drive in the Jefferson County part of Fenton, where Marijon Ludwig, 46, was found stabbed and shot to death.
Billy Moman, 69, was suspected of killing Ludwig. It appeared Moman shot himself to death, and his body was found on Feb. 15 at the Holiday Inn Express, 1802 Gamel Cemetery Road, in Festus.
The next homicide the Sheriff’s Office investigated was on July 11 when Gabbriana Boyster, 16, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the head at her home in the 7900 block of Tower Road north of Hillsboro. Investigators said Boyster was shot on July 10.
Three juveniles were charged in connection with the shooting death. One was charged with involuntary manslaughter, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse. Two other juveniles were charged with abandonment of a corpse.
The third homicide investigation started on July 24 when Sammy Gordon Jr., 24, and his 51-year-old father were shot at a home in the 7300 block of Lakeshore Drive in Cedar Hill. Gordon died at the scene, and his father was treated and released from an area hospital.
Christopher Serrano, 41, was arrested and charged two days after the shooting. He has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault resulting in a serious physical injury and two counts armed criminal action, according to court documents.
As of Monday, Serrano was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court and jail records show.
The day after investigating the homicide in Cedar Hill, deputies were called at about 8:30 p.m. July 25 to a home on Doetzel Drive in House Springs where Jersey Greer, 17, and her mother, 38-year-old Jessica Lashly, were both shot in the head and killed. The suspect, Robert Winkelman, 73, shot himself in the head when deputies arrived.
Winkelman was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action, after initially being charged with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action. He died on Aug. 2.
The sixth and seventh suspected homicides occurred on Aug. 6 when Kenneth Queen, 60, and Timothy Brda Jr., 45, were shot in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton.
About 9 p.m. that day, a resident in the 1100 block of Morris Drive called police when one of the victims showed up at the resident’s home. From Morris Drive, investigators followed a blood trail to a home on Saline Lane, where they found a second victim.
Queen and Brda were both transported to an area hospital, where they died. As of Monday, no suspects had been identified.
Corey Bicklein and Catherine Koechling were both charged the day after they were arrested. In both cases, the suspects were married to the victims and going through divorces.
Court records show Sarah Bicklein filed for divorce on June 22, and Catherine Koechling filed for divorce in March 2025. The Sheriff’s Office reported Catherine Koechling and Eric Koechling were recently divorced.
On Sept. 11, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Corey Bicklein with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. As of Monday, he was being held without bail at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, according to jail records.
Also on Sept. 11, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Catherine Koechling with first-degree domestic assault resulting in serious physical injury and armed criminal action.
Catherine Koechling was transported to a hospital for treatment unrelated to her arrest on Sept. 10, the Sheriff’s Office reported. On Monday, Jefferson County Jail records show she was being held without bond.
“What concerns me most about these cases is not simply the presence of a firearm; it is how quickly some disputes are escalating to deadly violence,” Marshak said. “Several of our recent homicides have involved domestic or interpersonal disputes where anger, conflict and access to a firearm became a deadly combination.”
Marshak said law enforcement officers do play a role in curbing gun violence, but police alone cannot stop it.
“We need to aggressively pursue violent offenders, particularly people who illegally possess firearms or use them during the commission of a crime,” he said. “That also needs to be followed by strong prosecution and meaningful consequences for people who commit violent crimes.
“But law enforcement cannot be inside every home or present for every argument between people who know one another. We need people to recognize when a situation is escalating and create distance before it becomes violent. Walk away, leave the house, call law enforcement, contact a family member or just do something to interrupt the situation.
“A decision made in a few seconds of anger can take a life and permanently change several families.”
Marshak said homicides are the most resource-intensive investigations the Sheriff’s Office conducts. He said the initial response typically involves numerous patrol deputies, detectives, crime scene investigators, supervisors and command personnel. He also said SWAT, crisis negotiators and other specialized units may also be involved.
Marshak said an investigation typically continues for months with detectives conducting interviews, reviewing digital evidence and video, obtaining search warrants, processing phones and other electronic devices, following leads and working closely with prosecutors.
“From the initial 911 call through prosecution, a single case can represent hundreds of personnel hours,” he said.
Marshak also said deputies continue to patrol more than 664 square miles in Jefferson County while homicide investigations are conducted, and the department also operates the jail and staff the courthouse.
“Our people have consistently stepped up when we need them,” he said. “But if this level of workload continues, simply asking the same number of people to do more is not a sustainable long-term strategy.”