Suspect In Spa Shootings Had History Of Domestic Violence
UPDATED: 10/22/2012 10:15 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Wisconsin woman whose husband is suspected in the Brookfield, Wisc. spa killings had said he threatened to throw acid in her face and burn her with gas.
Authorities say Radcliffe Franklin Haughton shot and killed three women, injured four more then turned the gun on himself Sunday at a suburban Milwaukee spa where his wife worked.
His wife, Zina Haughton, 42, was identified as one of the three dead. The other victims are Cary L. Robuck, 35, of Racine and Maelyn M. Lind, 38, of Oconomowoc.
In a court filing, Zina Haughton said her husband thought she was cheating on him, and threatened to kill her if she ever left him or called the police.
She was granted a four-year temporary restraining order this month after her husband was arrested for slashing her tires. She told the court he threatened to burn her and her family with gas.
The father of the alleged shooter says the marriage had been rocky.
"I believe he and his wife, go through some problems, but I don't know if you want to term that as a lovers' quarrel, " said Radcliff Haughton Sr.
There were other cases of violence.
On Oct. 4, police were called to this same spa, after Haughton was accused of slashing his wife's tires.
Police say Zina Haughton was just granted a restraining order against her husband, five days ago.
But it did not keep Haughton out of the spa at 11 a.m. Sunday when his wife was working.
Zina's customer, Betty Bronner, said the spa employee tried to defuse the situation and persuade him not to use the gun. Zina addressed him as "sir" as she tried to calm him, Bronner said.
Radcliffe Haughton Sr. says he is numb, after learning his son was allegedly responsible for killing three people, before taking his own life.
"As a father, as a Christian, I can only apologize to all the ones he hurt," said Haughton Sr. "I love my son. I do not approve of what he did."
In January, 2011, the suspect was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct stemming from a domestic dispute in Brown Deer, where the Haughtons lived.
Haughton's wife, Zina, called police to their home on January 8 after an argument. When police arrived, Haughton refused to speak with them and pointed a "long-barreled black object" out the window, forcing police to take over.
Haughton had thrown his wife's clothing and bedding into the front yard.
Zina Haughton told police that her husband did not own a gun, but officers, who knew Houghton was a former Marine, believed he may have had a gun and knew how to use it.
The standoff ended peacefully after about 90 minutes.
The shooting happened about 11 a.m. at the Azana Day Spa, a two-story, 9,000-square-foot building across from a major shopping mall in Brookfield, a middle-to-upper class community west of Milwaukee. Hours later, a bomb squad descended on the building, and Police Chief Dan Tushaus said an improvised explosive device was found inside.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
