Suspect hangs himself
Found alive after domestic dispute
Staff writer
A 68-year-old Lincolnville man was found hanging in his garage at 10:58 p.m. Friday after his former wife reported that he had choked her and put a gun to her face.
Gary L. Steele was rushed unconscious and having trouble breathing to St. Luke Hospital, Marion, and then transferred by helicopter to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. He has since been released.
He was found in his garage after deputies Matt Regier and Joshua Meliza interviewed his former wife and self-described current girlfriend, Kelly A. Tiede, 58, of Herington, at the Lincolnville post office.
She had fled there after Steele allegedly attacked her during a quarrel that began after she returned from work to his house in the 300 block of Lombard St.
Deputies went to Steele’s home to confront him and searched for nearly four minutes before reporting that he had hanged himself in the garage, was unconscious, and was having trouble breathing.
Marion and Tampa ambulances were summoned. Lincolnville first responders volunteered to assist. They cared for Steele until Marion ambulance arrived. Tampa ambulance was called off just as it reached Lincolnville.
Ambulance attendants reported Steele to be in potentially life-threatening condition.
At their request, a helicopter ambulance was summoned and told to meet their ambulance at St. Luke’s helipad.
Tiede later asked deputies to let her retrieve unspecified items from the home. The request was denied.
A relative of Steele requested that the home be secured until Steele was released from the hospital and potentially from custody.
Deputies returned to the house several hours later to execute a search warrant for evidence from the initial incident of domestic violence.
Both Sheriff Jeff Soyez and Undersheriff Larry Starkey came on duty during the investigation, remaining at the sheriff’s office until after 4 a.m.
Steele and Tiede were married in July 2021 and divorced a year later in June 2022. She executed a quitclaim deed returning the house to his sole ownership in 2022.