New details have emerged about a couple’s marital issues before they died in a murder-suicide..
As Us previously reported, James “Jimmy” Brugger and Melinda “Mindy” Brugger were found dead at their home in Poughkeepsie, New York, just before midnight on August 21.
Detectives determined that Jimmy, 66, shot Mindy, 54, several times. Jimmy then tampered with and removed evidence of the killing from the home before he died by suicide.
It has since been revealed that Mindy filed for divorce from Jimmy about one month earlier on July 17, according to the New York State Unified Court System. The reason for their separation was not clear at the time of publication.
The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the killings were a murder-suicide on Monday, August 24. At the time, authorities said that they believed Jimmy shot Mindy due to unresolved domestic issues.
Authorities learned of the shooting when a family member and the family member’s friend found Jimmy and Mindy unconscious. They called 911 to report the incident, and police officers responded to the home around 11:42 p.m. Upon their arrival, emergency medical personnel determined that both Jimmy and Mindy were dead.
Jimmy and Mindy were both known for their service within their local community. Jimmy served as a lieutenant with the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department and the chief of the Plattekill Fire Department, while Mindy was an EMT and CPR instructor with the Westchester Medical Center network.
Both the City of Poughkeepsie and Plattekill fire departments addressed the murder-suicide in statements and condemned Jimmy for killing Mindy.
“Mindy was a bright light and a friend to so many of us. Her loss is deeply felt throughout our department and the larger first responder community,” the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department’s Local 596 wrote in a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, August 25.
The union added that Jimmy worked for the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department for 27 years and he retired in 2025.
“While we acknowledge his years of service, there is absolutely no place in our profession, our union, or our community for an act as horrific and deplorable as this,” the statement read.
The union added that Jimmy’s actions “do not represent the values of the members of Local 596, nor do they diminish the respect and gratitude we have for those who have served honorably.”
The Plattekill Fire Department also reflected on the tragedy in a post on Monday, August 24.
“Mindy dedicated herself to helping others. Her compassion, commitment, and service made a lasting impact on our department, the fire and EMS community, and the many people whose lives she touched,” the department wrote via social media.
The department went on to say that Jimmy’s “actions were his own and do not represent the values of the Plattekill Fire Department, the fire service, or the members who continue to serve this community with honor, compassion, and respect for human life.”
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