Jill Loraine Larson McCandless was a 53-year-old Gothenburg, Nebraska police officer who died on Saturday, June 8, 2019, in an incident investigators described as an apparent murder-suicide. A relative found Jill and her 52-year-old husband, Jeff McCandless, dead inside their home; the Nebraska State Patrol responded around 9:00 p.m., with assistance from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and the Gothenburg Police Department. Jill had served with the Gothenburg Police Department since 2010 and was the third woman to join that force.

Authorities said preliminary findings indicate Jeff McCandless shot his wife before taking his own life; autopsies were scheduled and no other suspects were being sought. The event deeply affected the small community and her law enforcement colleagues. If anyone knew Jill or has information about the evening of June 8, 2019, please come forward.