June 13, 2017
PROVIDED//BREAKINGAC
Linwood talk show host April Kauffman was murdered five years ago. No one was charged. Now the prosecutor wants a DNA sample from her widower.
A swarm of law enforcement officers arrested a prominent shore-area physician Tuesday morning and charged him with weapons offenses. James Kauffman, who had a gun at his office, was taken into custody after being talked down by a negotiator.
Kauffman's wife, radio talk-show host April Kauffman, was shot to death in their Linwood home five years ago. Her murder has remained unsolved for five years. It was not immediately clear if James Kauffman's arrest on Tuesday is connected to that ongoing investigation.
BreakingAC reported a portion of the endocrinologist's office in Egg Harbor Township is cordoned off with crime-scene tape and the doctor's home also is being searched.
Just recently, a new county prosecutor went to court seeking a DNA sample from the doctor, over the objections of his lawyer, Ed Jacobs, a high-profile lawyer in the Atlantic City area. The judge’s decision regarding compelling the sample was sealed at the request of Jacobs.
Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner confirmed the arrest, according to BreakingAC. In a follow-up release, Tyner's office said the doctor was taken for a psychiatric evaluation after brandishing a 9-mm Ruger handgun at his office.
He will be charged with unlawful possession of handgun, possessing hollow-point ammunition and obstruction.
The release said "all leads" pertaining to possible crimes are under investigation, but there was no specific mention of April Kauffman's murder. The office declined making further comment.
A call to his lawyer was not immediately returned.
The prosecutor had wanted the DNA sample to see if his blood matched blood found mixed in with April Kauffman’s blood in the guest bedroom of their home.
A veterans advocate, as well as broadcaster, April Kauffman was found shot to death on May 10, 2012.
While no criminal charges had previously been brought, a civil lawsuit pitting Kauffman against his late wife’s daughter, Kimberly Pack, is making its way through the court system.
The suit began when the insurer refused to pay Kauffman unless he submitted a letter from the prosecutor saying he was not a suspect. The insurance company then brought Pack into the litigation, saying she had an interest as the secondary beneficiary.
The insurer then agreed to put the money into a trust with the court, which will eventually decide who gets the payout.
