TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma official says a man sought in the deaths of two people in eastern Kansas has died after he shot himself as law enforcement officers approached him.
Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman Amy Elliott confirmed Saturday that
Ben Converse had died and that his organs were being harvested for donation before an autopsy was conducted.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Friday that Converse had been located in Tulsa and shot himself with a handgun as officers closed in on him.
Kansas authorities say Converse was a person of interest in the shootings deaths of 36-year-old Molly Wilson and her father, 69-year-old John Tadlock, in Iola, Kansas. The two were found Thursday in their home in Iola, which is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City.
UPDATE 9 p.m. Friday: The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Iola Police Department, announced that Ben Converse, the person of interest connected to the murders of Molly Wilson and John Tadlock of Iola, Kan., was located in Tulsa, Okla. this evening.
The KBI, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Broken Arrow Police Department located Converse at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Friday evening. Once located, he fled law enforcement on foot. As law enforcement officers approached him near 66th Street and Mingo in Tulsa, he turned toward them and shot himself with a handgun.
Converse was transported to a Tulsa hospital, where he is currently being treated for a life threatening, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
ALLEN COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Iola Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office are investigating after an Iola man and his daughter were discovered dead in their home Thursday evening.
According to a KBI media release, just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Iola Police Department responded to 114 S. Kentucky in Iola, and discovered the victims who had died from apparent gunshot wounds. Special agents and the KBI Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.
The woman who died was identified as 36-year-old Molly E. Wilson. The man was identified as 69-year-old John Tadlock.
A person of interest has been identified as 38-year-old Ben Converse.
Converse is described as a white male, 5-foot-9 and approximately 175 pounds. He has hazel eyes. Converse may be driving a maroon 2011 Kia Forte with Kansas license plate 509 KZS.
He may be in the Oklahoma area. If you see Converse or the vehicle, please do not approach, but contact police.