CLEARLAKE OAKS – A local man was taken into custody early Tuesday morning after he allegedly shot his wife to death.
Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said details about the situation are still being gathered, with the suspect at this time being identified as Eddie Lee Gillespie, 50, a mechanic who lives in Clearlake.
Gillespie was booked into the Lake County Jail shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
He is charged with murder, and is being held without bail.
Bauman said officials weren't immediately releasing the victim's identity.
At about 6:20 a.m. sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting at a residence on Walnut Way in Clearlake Oaks, Bauman said.
Bauman said it was Gillespie himself who had called sheriff’s dispatch and reported that he had shot his wife.
As deputies were still responding, dispatch kept Gillespie on the phone and they were told he had shot his wife multiple times in the home and was prepared to surrender to deputies, Bauman reported.
Dispatch instructed Gillespie to disarm himself and exit the home as deputies arrived at the scene and he was taken into custody without incident. Bauman said a large caliber handgun was also recovered.
While securing the scene, deputies located the body of a woman inside the home who had apparently sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Bauman said medics from the Northshore Fire Protection District responded from a staging area and pronounced the woman deceased.
The Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit has been called in to take over the investigation and process the crime scene, Bauman said.
Meanwhile, Bauman said Gillespie was removed from the scene to another location for questioning and the apparent homicide is pending further investigation.
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