BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AUTHORITIES SAY RETIRED FIRE LIEUTENANT JIMMY BRUGGER SHOT HIS WIFE MINDY SEVERAL TIMES AND TAMPERED WITH EVIDENCE OF THE KILLING BEFORE DYING BY SUICIDE… LEAVING BOTH DEAD WEEKS AFTER SHE FILED FOR DIVORCE.
New details have emerged about a couple’s marital issues before they died in a murder-suicide.
James “Jimmy” Brugger and Melinda “Mindy” Brugger were found dead at their home in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The two were discovered just before midnight on August 21.
Jimmy was 66.
Mindy was 54.
Authorities learned of the shooting late that evening through a family member.
A family member and the family member’s friend found Jimmy and Mindy unconscious.
They called 911 to report the incident.
Police officers responded to the home around 11:42 p.m.
Emergency medical personnel also responded to the scene.
Upon their arrival, emergency medical personnel determined that both Jimmy and Mindy were dead.
Detectives determined that Jimmy shot Mindy several times.
Then Jimmy tampered with evidence of the killing inside the home.
He removed evidence of the killing from the home.
He then died by suicide.
On Monday, August 24, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the killings were a murder-suicide.
At the time, authorities said that they believed Jimmy shot Mindy due to unresolved domestic issues.
But marital separation proceedings were already underway.
It has since been revealed that Mindy filed for divorce from Jimmy about one month earlier.
That divorce filing occurred on July 17.
The record of the filing was documented by the New York State Unified Court System.
The reason for their separation was not clear at the time of publication.
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Jimmy and Mindy were both known for their service within their local community.
Jimmy served as a lieutenant with the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department.
He also served as the chief of the Plattekill Fire Department.
Mindy worked in local healthcare and emergency services.
Mindy was an EMT and CPR instructor with the Westchester Medical Center network.
Both the City of Poughkeepsie and Plattekill fire departments addressed the murder-suicide in statements.
Both departments condemned Jimmy for killing Mindy.
On Tuesday, August 25, the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department’s Local 596 shared a post on Facebook.
“Mindy was a bright light and a friend to so many of us. Her loss is deeply felt throughout our department and the larger first responder community,” the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department’s Local 596 wrote in a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, August 25.
The union noted Jimmy’s decades of service to the city.
The union added that Jimmy worked for the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department for 27 years and he retired in 2025.
Local 596 condemned his actions directly in the post.
“While we acknowledge his years of service, there is absolutely no place in our profession, our union, or our community for an act as horrific and deplorable as this,” the statement read.
And the union stated that his actions did not reflect the agency.
The union added that Jimmy’s actions “do not represent the values of the members of Local 596, nor do they diminish the respect and gratitude we have for those who have served honorably.”
On Monday, August 24, the Plattekill Fire Department also reflected on the tragedy in a post.
The department shared its tribute to Mindy via social media.
“Mindy dedicated herself to helping others. Her compassion, commitment, and service made a lasting impact on our department, the fire and EMS community, and the many people whose lives she touched,” the department wrote via social media.
The Plattekill department then spoke on the former chief’s conduct.
The department went on to say that Jimmy’s “actions were his own and do not represent the values of the Plattekill Fire Department, the fire service, or the members who continue to serve this community with honor, compassion, and respect for human life.”
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