Talkeetna woman charged with murder

Sept. 18, 2005

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER -- A Palmer grand jury indicted a 52-year-old Talkeetna woman earlier this week, charging her with second-degree murder more than three months after she allegedly shot and killed her 51-year-old husband at home.

Kathleen Colbert is also charged with manslaughter, fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons and driving under the influence. She was arrested and taken to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility, where she was being held Friday in lieu of $100,000 cash or corporate and a court-approved third-party custodian, according to personnel at MSPTF.

Colbert's husband, Gary, died after being fatally shot June 3 at the couple's Talkeetna Spur Road home.

According to Greg Wilkinson, Alaska State Trooper spokesman, troopers had previously been called to the home for domestic-violence issues.

The Colberts were fighting on the evening of the shooting, according to trooper reports, and both of them had been drinking alcohol.

When Kathleen tried to make a 911 call to report her husband assaulting her, he took the phone away, according to a June trooper press release.

Kathleen then retrieved a handgun from their bedroom and fired one round at Gary, striking him in the head and killing him, according to the release. The release goes on to say that Colbert then called 911 to report she shot and killed her husband.

The DUI charge stemmed from a July 12 incident, when troopers responded to a report of a car crash at Mile 2 Talkeetna Spur Road. According to a trooper press release, two vehicles were involved, and no injuries were reported.

Colbert was driving north and making a left turn as the driver of the other vehicle, Gay Davis, 47, of Talkeetna, was passing her. Both drivers wore seat belts. There minor damage to both vehicles. After further investigation, according to the release, Colbert was arrested for DUI and later released without bail.

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.