On Oct. 14 at approximately 12:17 p.m., Spencer County authorities responded to a report from a residence on South Kasper Drive in Santa Claus after a 48-year-old woman, identified as Jamie Adkins, called the Spencer County Sheriff’s Office and reported she had shot her husband. Responding officers from the Santa Claus Police Department, the Indiana State Police Jasper District and the Spencer County Sheriff’s Office found 49-year-old John Adkins deceased from gunshot wounds and Jamie Adkins with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jamie Adkins was transported to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital in Kentucky, where she later died. Indiana State Police have categorized the event as a suspected murder-suicide and indicated there is no ongoing public threat.

The sequence of events and the identities of those involved are confirmed through official press releases and reporting by outlets including the Indiana State Police Jasper District communications and the Dubois County Free Press. Autopsies were scheduled Oct. 15 in Vanderburgh County and in Chrisney, Spencer County, as investigators continued to seek definitive medical determinations and any additional evidence. Sgt. Josh Greer of the Spencer County Sheriff’s Office has been listed among the agencies handling the probe. Investigators say follow-up will include obtaining autopsy results and any witness statements that might clarify motive or prior domestic history.

Although the shooting occurred in Spencer County, the incident has resonated in Dubois County because of geographic proximity—Santa Claus sits roughly 20 miles from Jasper—and regional ties. Santa Claus hosts major attractions, including Holiday World, that draw visitors and seasonal workers from across southern Indiana, including Dubois County. Local officials and residents say tragedies of this kind can ripple across neighboring communities, affecting schools, workplaces and local services. Reports indicate the Adkins family’s children attend nearby schools, a factor that raises immediate concerns for educators and student-support networks regarding grief counseling and continuity for affected students.

The case underscores broader policy and institutional questions for rural southern Indiana: availability of domestic-violence intervention, mental-health crisis resources, and coordination among county-level law enforcement and social services. For residents of Dubois County, the incident may prompt renewed examination of how local agencies partner across county lines during emergencies and how schools and social-service providers mobilize support when families in the region are affected.

Investigators have advised that elements of the case remain subject to verification, particularly the medical causes of death and any prior indicators of domestic conflict. Local officials and media will continue to monitor updates from the Spencer County Coroner’s Office and the Indiana State Police. The community response in coming days will likely focus on immediate supports for the Adkins children and on whether this event drives policy discussions on prevention and crisis response in southern Indiana.