Murder-Suicide Anguishes Military Counselors : Tragedy: Marine corporal who shot his estranged wife and himself was seeking professional help. Officials will examine the case to prevent similar occurrences.

Military counselors who guided a Marine corporal and his wife through their separation were “severely distraught” over the couple’s murder-suicide deaths, said a Marine spokeswoman Monday. She added that officials will scrutinize the case to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

Marine officials will also conduct a routine internal investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths of Richard Brian Junck, 22, and his 21-year-old wife, Heidi Sue, said El Toro Marine Lt. Beth Carreiro.

“The command and the Family Service Center (in Barstow) and other people involved in this case are extremely distraught and are examining the case to see how we could possibly prevent things like this in the future,” Carreiro said.

The Juncks had been legally separated, Carreiro said. Heidi Junck moved to Barstow to live with her brother. Richard Junck was seeking professional help, but even after he threatened her life in a telephone call, his estranged wife had repeatedly told military counselors in Barstow she did not need counseling, Carreiro said.

The couple also had been investigated, but cleared of any wrongdoing, after an anonymous caller reported possible child abuse of the Juncks’ 3-year-old daughter.

Heidi Junck had eventually set up an appointment with the Family Service Center in Barstow for this Thursday.

But she was kidnaped and killed by her husband Saturday, authorities said.

According to sheriff’s departments in San Bernardino and Orange counties, Richard Junck, who was from Chino but was stationed at El Toro, kidnaped his wife from Barstow on Saturday evening, then drove to San Juan Capistrano, where he fatally shot her before shooting himself. His car then plunged off Ortega Highway down a 400-foot cliff, witnesses told sheriff’s officials.

Orange County sheriff’s officials said Sunday that the couple had been involved in a “domestic dispute” in Barstow hours before they died. Sheriff’s officials said Monday that they had no additional details.

On Oct. 6, Richard Junck called his estranged wife in Barstow and threatened to kill her, military officials said. Heidi Junck recorded the conversation and turned it over to military police, who placed his name on the list of people to be stopped at the gate.

That same day, Richard Junck drove to the base and was detained for several hours before he was released into the custody of his commander from El Toro.

Heidi Junck reported no other threats to the military before Oct. 6, Carreiro said.

Carreiro added that two other incidents concerning the couple were recorded on logbooks. The first was from a March, 1992, anonymous caller who reported that the couple’s daughter had been physically abused.

The Juncks were cleared by military officials after they “gave legitimate explanation for the bruises and scratches on the child,” Carreiro said. “There were lots of cats in the house.”

The couple’s daughter was staying with grandparents Sunday.

The second incident was reported by Heidi Junck in August, 1992. Richard Junck apparently told his wife to go into their room, telling her he was going to kill himself. He did not threaten Heidi Junck in any way, Carreiro said.

Junck shot a hole through the floor, she said. No one was hurt in the incident, and Richard Junck later sought counseling. Heidi Junck also went to the Family Service Center in El Toro for counseling the next month, “but did not return after that,” Carreiro said.

While the couple were separated and going through a divorce, she added, both were seeing counselors but “neither party gave any indication that it was going to be an inamicable arrangement.”

Carreiro said, “She denied there being any kind of real problems.”

After their separation, Richard Junck was undergoing counseling to cope with his wife’s departure, Carreiro said. After the Oct. 6 incident, the Family Service Center in Barstow repeatedly called Heidi Junck to come in for counseling sessions, the spokeswoman added.

“She said they were getting divorced anyway and she did not feel as if she were in any danger,” Carreiro said.

“It is very tragic,” Carreiro said. “No one involved in this case saw this coming.”