Iraq war vet killed by estranged wife in murder-suicide

A decorated Iraq war vet found dead in a west-side home Saturday was shot and killed by his estranged wife before she turned the gun on herself.

James Sevey, a petty officer third class in the Navy and the victim’s son, told the Gazette on Monday that he had spoken to Colorado Springs police and they told him that Pam Sevey shot and killed Aaron Sevey before committing suicide Saturday afternoon at 829 Skyway Blvd.

Colorado Springs police later issued a news release that confirmed James Sevey’s account.

Aaron Sevey, 48, whose death was ruled the city’s first homicide of 2011, died of multiple gunshot wounds, an autopsy by the El Paso County coroner found.

An autopsy found that Pam Sevey, 44, died of a single, self-inflicted gunshot.

Aaron and Pam Sevey were married about five years ago, James Sevey said, but had been separated for two years and were living apart. They had filed for divorce, but never went through with it, he said.

They were having “relationship issues” at the time of the shooting, said James Sevey.

On her Facebook page, under her maiden name of Copley, Pam Sevey had written less than 30 minutes before the shooting was reported that she had “just walked in on my husband in bed with another woman. Real nice.”

“He was never a violent person,” James Sevey said of his father. “That’s why when this came out, we knew he wasn’t the type of person to go kill someone.”

“She shot him right as he entered the door,” James Sevey said. “Shot him twice in the torso.”

Aaron Sevey was an active duty soldier for about four years before switching to the National Guard and moving to Colorado Springs roughly 15 years ago. He was activated and sent to Iraq a few years ago.

While serving there, he suffered a severe shoulder injury and had to have nearly 20 surgeries.

He was injured when an improvised explosive device exploded and damaged a nearby Humvee, James Sevey said. Noticing the explosion, Aaron Sevey started running toward the Humvee, only to trip and injure his shoulder.

“He was trying to help those guys,” James Sevey said.

He was awarded a Bronze Star while serving as an engineer with a Colorado National Guard unit helping to build dams and other structures.

“He loved the Army,” James Sevey said. “He was dedicated to it.”

Pam Sevey had twin 16-year-old daughters from an earlier marriage who attend Cheyenne Mountain High School, according to the district’s superintendent.

Walt Cooper said Monday that District 12 staff had been “informed of the tragedy over the weekend” and that counselors were available when students arrived for classes.

Pam Sevey’s Facebook page was filled with condolences Monday from family and friends.

Sue Goodbar, a longtime neighbor of the Seveys, said she did not talk much with Pam Sevey after the couple broke up.

“She could be the sweetest person… and 10 minutes later, she’d be screaming and just cussing up a storm,” Goodbar said.

She said both Aaron and Pam Sevey were in outside relationships but they never finalized a divorce so that Pam and her daughters could still have health insurance.

Aaron Sevey stopped by Goodbar’s house Saturday morning, she said, and talked for about 45 minutes, catching up on his plans for life after the Army and reveling in his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the first day he could drive following his most recent surgery on Wednesday.

When not working at Fort Carson, Sevey spent time at the Venetucci Farm, helping to bail hay and to maintain the property. In the neighborhood, Goodbar remembered him fixing a bird feeder damaged by a bear and mending his neighbors’ fences.

“He loves to help people” Goodbar said, noting his knack for fixing broken machines. “In Iraq they called him ‘The guy with duct tape.’”