News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Dec 26, 2018

Polk City man kills elderly wife, then himself, after telling family he could no longer care for her

Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO

Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence at 1513 Hwy 559, Lot 117 in Polk City, on Saturday night, December 22, 2018, after the discovery of two deceased people with apparent gunshot wounds. The two people were identified as 82-year-old Henry Stanecki and his wife, 79-year-old Nancy Stanecki.

Detectives learned that Mr. Stanecki had called a brother in Cincinnati, Ohio at 9:54 P.M. Saturday, and told him, "I just shot Nancy." That brother said that in a previous call, Henry Stanecki was worried about his wife Nancy's bad health and frequent falls, and that he wasn't able to help her anymore due to his own deteriorating health.

Nancy Stanecki was found with wounds from a single gunshot to the head.

Henry Stanecki was found with wounds from two gunshots to the head.

According to a family member, the couple had been married for 28 years.

The investigation is ongoing, and autopsy results are pending.