On a spring day in Albany, Missouri, a welfare check on May 9, 2026, led to a grim discovery at a residence on 7th Street. Inside, authorities found 64-year-old Paula M. Kohrs deceased, along with 69-year-old Perry S. Kohrs. The Gentry County Sheriff's Office responded to the home at 11:21 a.m. and, upon discovering the scene, requested the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control to investigate the shooting. A deceased dog was also found in the home.
The investigation that followed began to piece together the tragic events that transpired.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol later identified the two individuals and revealed that the incident was being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide. Investigators determined that Perry Kohrs died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While initial reports did not immediately release the specific cause of Paula Kohrs's death, it was confirmed she was a victim of the shooting. Authorities assured the public that there was no ongoing danger to the community. An obituary for Paula mentioned that she "tragically passed away in her home... along with her husband Scott Kohrs who struggled with mental health issues," and that "Gun violence, Anti-depressants and alcohol addiction played a role in this loss." The obituary for Perry Scott Kohrs confirmed he was married to Paula Horn English and passed away on the same day.
Paula Kohrs, born Paula English, was a mother to two children, Vaughn and Olivia. She was described as a self-taught entrepreneur who had been a global leader in sales, marketing, and public speaking, even authoring two books. She had reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Perry "Scott" Kohrs, and they moved to Albany where they were active in the Lions Club and community events. Paula also played the piano and delivered sermons at the Denver Community Church. The investigation into the deaths of Paula and Perry Kohrs concluded that it was a murder-suicide, with Perry Kohrs being the perpetrator. As the sole suspect in Paula Kohrs's death was also deceased, there were no arrests made, and consequently, no trial, conviction, or sentencing in this case. The incident left a community in mourning and a family grappling with the devastating loss of two of its members in a single tragic event.
