TX - Dr. Mark Hausknecht, 65, Physician to GHW Bush killed in bicycle drive-by shooting, Houston

[CocoChanel]

Cyclists spend a lot of time on sidewalks and trails near the med center as well as on the roads, but in general the roads are congested enough during rush hour they're taking the sidewalks where possible. So I don't have to dodge them in traffic in the med center proper, not too much. They blend in to the scenery.

Police are being oddly tight lipped about this house search below - connected to an open homicide investigation but won't say which one. There are obviously a variety of open homicide investigations at any time in Houston... hope it brings a break in this case:

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-...-Houston-home-in-connection-with-13123292.php

Wow! This was the suspect’s house, no?
You were on it docbh!

 

[glassheater]

I’m so glad the police have identified the likely culprit. 20 year grudge. Just wow.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

Unsurprisingly, a disgruntled relative of dead patient, 20+ years grudge no less.

But it was not a hit man as widely speculated. So this guy had the skill and the cool---why should we be surprised, he had 20+ years to prepare for this day.

Imagine the psychological impact on all the doctors especially surgeons out there.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

"Police said they learned Pappas had not been heard from in over 24 hours, and on Tuesday, he sent a text to someone, saying he was going to commit suicide."
Man who held 20-year grudge against murdered doctor wanted, police say

I have a feeling he won't be found alive.

p.s. I believe the police had figured out the suspect a while ago, at least by the time the chief said they were confident they would be able to make an arrest.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

One possibility this happening 20+ years later: maybe he didn't plan this back then, but something else in his life has not been going well and he thought of suicide, then decided to take the doctor with him. Something recent triggered this, probably.

 

[docbh]

Wow! This was the suspect’s house, no?
You were on it docbh!

Thanks - I actually was able to figure out the house number they were looking at, and found it odd that the tax records just listed "Current Owner" ... then with some pretty deep googling, I actually found the suspect's name but given the fact that the police hadn't released it, I didn't want to post it here to respect TOS and the fact that just because the person owned the house didn't mean they were related to the suspect.

Still just amazing. I'm wondering if this person is any relation to the Pappas brothers restaurants in town - extended family or something similar. Given the location of the house, it is entirely possible he biked all the way home, or biked to a parked vehicle and then drove it home and put the bike in his garage. I just realized they said he could be on the bike now, and armed, so not sure what they found. Maybe a note.

I feel some relief in having this person caught. The 20 year grudge is just ... to carry that anger for so long, so hard to imagine. I can only suspect he was waiting until he felt he was at a point in his life where he was ready to end it all after the act.

All doctors live with this - the potential that some person, right or wrong, will blame you for an outcome.

 

[glassheater]

One possibility this happening 20+ years later: maybe he didn't plan this back then, but something else in his life has not been going well and he thought of suicide, then decided to take the doctor with him. Something recent triggered this, probably.

I completely agree. Sounds like a psychotic break of some sort. I looked back to see the dates of the medical malpractice suits filed. One was 1992 and the other 1995, so most likely none were filed for his mother who passed in 1997.

 

[snowleopard]

Very sad, revenge usually only brings more grief, and rarely satisfaction to those who seek it. Hopefully time will help. An odd personal note on the bike, the previous article said it was a Schwinn, that was the main brand our shop sold.

 

[glassheater]

Thanks - I actually was able to figure out the house number they were looking at, and found it odd that the tax records just listed "Current Owner" ... then with some pretty deep googling, I actually found the suspect's name but given the fact that the police hadn't released it, I didn't want to post it here to respect TOS and the fact that just because the person owned the house didn't mean they were related to the suspect.

Still just amazing. I'm wondering if this person is any relation to the Pappas brothers restaurants in town - extended family or something similar. Given the location of the house, it is entirely possible he biked all the way home, or biked to a parked vehicle and then drove it home and put the bike in his garage. I just realized they said he could be on the bike now, and armed, so not sure what they found. Maybe a note.

I feel some relief in having this person caught. The 20 year grudge is just ... to carry that anger for so long, so hard to imagine. I can only suspect he was waiting until he felt he was at a point in his life where he was ready to end it all after the act.

All doctors live with this - the potential that some person, right or wrong, will blame you for an outcome.

I’m part of the Greek community here and no - this guy wasn’t related to the Pappas family that owns restaurants.

ETA: Pappas is a very common surname for Greek immigrants. Much like a ‘Smith’. It’s usually a shortened form of Papa-something. Like Papadakis or PapaGeorge etc

 

[Deleted member 192280]

I read that Pappas' mother died in 1997 at the age of 90. He should be 41 then, which means his mother was 49 years old than him, isn't it interesting?

Edit:
In this press conference, the spokesman says Pappas' date of birth is February 5, 1953, which makes him 65 (same age as the doctor he killed). Not sure why more than one reports say he's 62. Still, that seems to make a 46 year difference between his mother and him, if the mother died at 90.
(I'm seriously questioning a heart surgeon would operate on a 90 year old patient)

 

[tonygameboy]

Also “in possession of multiple firearms”. I mean he indirectly ended his own life and obviously missed his mother.

 

[mooliz]

I read that Pappas' mother died in 1997 at the age of 90. He should be 41 then, which means his mother was 49 years old than him, isn't it interesting?

I read that Pappas' mother died in 1997 at the age of 90. He should be 41 then, which means his mother was 49 years old than him, isn't it interesting?

Edit:
In this press conference, the spokesman says Pappas' date of birth is February 5, 1953, which makes him 65 (same age as the doctor he killed). Not sure why more than one reports say he's 62. Still, that seems to make a 46 year difference between his mother and him, if the mother died at 90.
(I'm seriously questioning a heart surgeon would operate on a 90 year old patient)

I just read his father's obit. He died in 2010 at 92--wife predeceased him in '97. Was a real estate developer in the Westbury neighborhood in addition to being a lawyer and involved in law enforcement.

 

[WannaBDetective]

We weren't even close were we. Professional hit, suspect in his 30's, highly trained killer, well-conditioned.

Pappas doesn't look anything like the sketch. And that's the mainstream proposals.

It went further out than that (foreign agents, affairs, et al). Makes you realize a) The unreliability of eye-witnesses the and and unpredictability of human behavior. Kudos to the brave souls that identified and turned him in. Thank you.

 

[Inthedetails]

Whoa.

Just reading through the posts now with the latest developments. He held a grudge for 20 years because his 90+ old mother died - that's really something (not sure what else to say).

I'll go catch up with the news coverage now.

jmo

Edited to add: I've been corrected....his mother was around age 70 (not 90).

 

[Inthedetails]

Just have to say....the locals on this case have been great! Thanks so much for sharing information about your city with us. So sorry this tragedy happened there.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

Seriously, if Pappas hired someone else to commit the murder, it would be doubtful when or if ever this case would be solved.

 

[Inthedetails]

"Pappas is also a former peace officer who served in Harris County for 30 years.

'There was a lot of planning that went into this,'Acevedo said. 'There was a lot of planning and sadly some skill.'"

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-...ion-in-slaying-of-13123522.php#photo-15905583

 

[mooliz]

Whoa.

Just reading through the posts now with the latest developments. He held a grudge for 20 years because his 90+ old mother died - that's really something (not sure what else to say).

I'll go catch up with the news coverage now.

jmo

I don't think she was 90. Not sure where someone saw that. In any case, I couldn't find her obit, only her husband's. So I used Ancestry to search for the death record. Born Sept 1927 and died April 1997.

 

[Deleted member 192280]

There is a discrepancy of Pappas being 62 or 65 among different reports.

 

[Inthedetails]

I don't think she was 90. Not sure where someone saw that. In any case, I couldn't find her obit, only her husband's. So I used Ancestry to search for the death record. Born Sept 1927 and died April 1997.

So almost 70yo. That makes more sense. Thank you.