Lothar Storch, an 82-year-old man from Dale, Texas, was found dead at his home on September 1, 2021, the result of multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies responding to a report of a deceased male discovered his body at the residence. Investigators determined that his wife, 69-year-old Dena Katharine Harris Storch, shot him; she was arrested the same day and gave a voluntary confession to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. Officials reported no evidence of anyone else’s involvement.

The case was presented to the Caldwell County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment for murder in November 2021. Dena Storch later entered a guilty plea in January 2024; the motive has not been publicly disclosed. Anyone with information about Lothar Storch or the events leading up to September 1, 2021, is asked to come forward.