Husband of Indiana state senator charged with killing former Lake County judge

The husband of a former Indiana state senator has been charged with shooting a former Lake County judge to death Wednesday afternoon outside the judge’s home in Hobart, Indiana.

William Landske, 83, had gone to the home of Judge Tracy Edward Page shortly before noon to pick up some tax-related documents and paperwork, according to an affidavit filed Friday in the Superior Court of Lake County.

Landske’s wife, the late Indiana State Sen. Sue Landske, had dropped off the documents with Page about three years earlier. Page had the couple’s friend and attorney for 30 years, according to the affidavit.

While talking to Page in the front lawn, Landske got upset about the way the attorney had handled the paperwork, pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot Page multiple times, according to court records.

In an interview with detectives, Landske said he decided to shoot Page the “second before I did it,” and told investigators, “it was a spur of the moment thing,” according to court records. He told detectives he got angry because Page had not done the work he was supposed to do with the paperwork.

“I don’t know if I intended to kill him, but what else happens when you shoot somebody, they die,” Landske said.

After the shooting, Page’s husband shoved Landske to the ground, knocking the .38-caliber revolver out of his hand, according to the affidavit. He grabbed the gun and put it on the home’s front porch to get it away from Landske. Landske’s daughters, who had come with him to help pick up the paperwork, called 911.

Officers responding to reports of shots fired found Page, 64, with four gunshot wounds about 12:40 p.m. outside his home in the 1200 block of West 4th Street in Hobart, according to statements from Hobart police and the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Page was pronounced dead at the scene.

Landske, who lives in Cedar Lake, Indiana, was arrested when officers arrived, police said. He has been charged with a felony count of murder.

He remained in custody without bail and his next court date was scheduled for Aug. 31, according to court records.

Page worked as an attorney with the firm Thiros & Thiros, according to the firm’s website. He served as a magistrate judge for the Superior Court of Lake County, Indiana, from 1984-2000, according to his LinkedIn profile.