Terre Haute Doctor Shoots And Kills Wife Hours After Wedding Before Taking His Own Life

George "Scott" Samson and Kelly Ecker Samson in happier times

A Terre Haute anesthesiologist, Dr. George "Scott" Samson, 54, exchanged vows with Kelly Ecker, 50, a nurse at Union Hospital where the two worked this past Saturday. Just hours later, Kelly made a frantic 911 call around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning pleading for help. "He's beating the shit out of me," Kelly told the operator. "Who is?," the operator asked. "My husband." The call ended and moments later Kelly called back. "Help," she pleaded. "Oh, my God. He's going to kill me." Multiple gun shots can be heard as the call ended.

Terre Haute Police' special response team rushed to the scene of the couple's Eastern Vigo County home and used a remote camera to enter the home where Kelly's ten-year old son and Samson's elderly parents were also present. Police were able to determine that Samson had retreated to the home's basement when they arrived where he later turned a gun on himself and took his own life. An autopsy revealed that Kelly died of multiple gunshot wounds to the neck and chest. Samson had used semi-automatic handguns to kill his wife and himself.

A tent set up for the wedding and reception still sits outside their home. The couple moved their wedding and reception to the Ohio Building in downtown Terre Haute due to weather conditions on Saturday. Guests began leaving the wedding festivities after it turned acrimonious due to discord between the newly-wed couple. Police recovered dozens of guns, including assault rifles and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The Vigo Co. Sheriff's Department told WTHI-TV that Samson legally possessed the guns as a registered federally-licensed gun dealer.

UPDATE: This story has now gone international after hitting the Daily Mail. A source tells Advance Indiana that the couple were arguing over a prenuptial agreement during their reception at the Ohio Building. Samson had supposedly told his newly-wed wife that she would never get her hands on any of his money. The couple and guests retired to the couple's home for an after-reception gathering. The last guests left the home a short time prior to the shooting as fighting between the two escalated.

WTHI-TV in Terre Haute aired the recordings of the 911 calls made by Kelly immediately prior to her death.


UPDATE (10-8-14). It turns out that the newly-weds were arguing over more than just a prenuptial agreement before the murder-suicide. A source tells Advance Indiana that Scott exploded when he went to pay the bill for the reception at the Ohio Building and learned that his wife had maxed out his credit card and the charge couldn't be processed. We also hear that Kelly's parents had serious concerns about their daughter marrying Scott due to his past abusive treatment of her. They reportedly did not attend the wedding. Tragically, we hear that Kelly's 10-year old son was in his bedroom with his mother when Scott shot her dead. Very sad. We're still trying to get confirmation on whether the couple were legally married by the delivery of a fully-executed marriage license to the Vigo Co. Clerk's Office following their ceremony on Saturday. Police are still awaiting toxicology test results on Scott's body according to the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Witnesses described Scott as being highly intoxicated during and after the couple's wedding reception.