Friday marked a tragic end to a story that was tragic from the start.
Two weeks ago, Mark Hausknecht was gunned down on his bike in broad daylight in Houston’s medical district.
He was a prominent cardiologist who once treated President George H.W. Bush in 2000.
Until this week, it seemed the shooter had gotten away. But then, new surveillance video was released showing him on a bike trailing his victim.
Tips helped police quickly identify the suspect as 62-year-old Joseph Pappas, a deputy constable of more than 30 years who may have had a grudge.
“The suspect’s mother was a patient of the doctor and died during surgery over 20 years ago,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said.
Investigators believe Pappas had been preparing for revenge and even left a dossier inside his home.
“There was a lot of planning,” Acevedo said. “The shots that he took, took some skill.”
They also led to an all-out manhunt which ended today, after a city employee mistook Pappas in a park for vandal.
That witness called 911 and noticed Pappas dropped his wallet.
Police cornered Pappas a few blocks away and said he was wearing body armor when he shot himself.
A family in Painesville could not believe it was really the end to someone they knew well.
Christa Brown said she was a runaway in Texas decades ago, when Pappas arrested her and encouraged her to turn her life around.
The friendship between their families grew deep.
Just a few days before the attack, Pappas sent her family the deed to his home. Then this week, he sent a text to say he would be killing himself.
Police are now trying to piece together where Pappas was for the past two weeks.
They believe he may have had other potential victims in mind, since they say his dossier contained files on dozens of doctors and medical center employees.