On the evening of February 10, 2015, a violent domestic disturbance unfolded at a residence on North Helm Street in Paoli, Indiana, tragically ending the life of 3-year-old female Addison Randolph. The incident began as a heated argument between the child's mother, Melissa Randolph, and her estranged husband, Jeremy Gehl. The dispute escalated physically when Gehl attacked Melissa with a knife, inflicting multiple stab wounds.
During the altercation, Addison and her 6-year-old brother, Leon Gehl, reportedly came downstairs, inadvertently entering the chaotic scene.
Upon seeing the children, the 37-year-old suspect turned his aggression toward them. Authorities reported that Jeremy Gehl armed himself with a shotgun and fired at both siblings. After critically injuring the children and wounding their mother, Gehl turned the weapon on himself, committing suicide at the scene. Emergency responders arrived to find the mother outside the home suffering from knife injuries, while the children were discovered inside with gunshot wounds. Addison was airlifted to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead later that night. Her brother Leon remained in critical condition for two days before also passing away from his wounds.
Investigation into the background of the perpetrator revealed a history of legal and violent issues. Jeremy Gehl was living in the home in direct violation of a protective order that had been filed against him in 2013 and was set to expire just a week after the murders. Additionally, reports surfaced that Gehl had been involved in a previous fatal shooting in 2010 in Orleans, Indiana, where he shot and killed a man named Billy Bledsoe. Gehl was never charged in that earlier incident, with officials at the time declining to prosecute. Because Gehl died by suicide immediately following the attack on his family, there were no arrests or trials in connection with the deaths of Addison and her brother.
