Suicides of Two Deputies Puzzle Illinois Community

David Behrens patrolled the dark back roads of Clinton County hour after late-night hour--a cop with troubles on his mind.

His friend and fellow sheriff’s deputy, Tod Hintz, struggled with demons of his own.

Two weeks ago, battered by what friends called mounting frustration over his life, Behrens put a gun to his head and killed himself as his mother listened over the telephone.

Three days later, only hours after Behrens’ funeral, Hintz shot himself as his fiancee looked on. According to the police report, he said, “Dave, I’m coming to meet you,” before pulling the trigger.

It was a baffling double blow for the 20-member department in this farming community of 3,400 people east of St. Louis. No police officer had died a violent death here for at least 25 years.

Investigators blamed the suicides on the pressures of policing in a small community, but friends and co-workers said that alone doesn’t explain why two well-liked and seemingly stable 31-year-old men would kill themselves.

Chief Deputy Kent Newkirk described the men as “work friends” who occasionally hunted together. Behrens was quiet and reserved, while Hintz joked easily with his colleagues. The work-related stress was apparent, Newkirk said, but was not considered a severe problem for either man.

Behrens was worried about his upcoming role in a trial involving a fatal accident, a trial pitting one family against another, Newkirk said. The deputy helped investigate the accident and felt torn between the families.

The troubles ran deeper, Behrens’ friend Neil Notthaus said.

Over the last year, Notthaus said, Behrens began to quietly complain about working the graveyard shift, saying it bothered him that he was often the only deputy on patrol.

Notthaus urged Behrens to quit, perhaps to pursue his dream of becoming a state game warden, but his friend refused and became more reserved.

Behrens worked for the last time Aug. 6, patrolling eight hours without encountering a single speeder, burglar or vandal.

“Sometimes, those can be the worst shifts to spend,” Newkirk said. “You have a lot of time to think.”

After work, Behrens took a nap, then went to the store for groceries and a lottery ticket. He came home and started his dinner.

Then he called his mother, told her where to find his insurance papers and shot himself. “Tired of living” was his only explanation to her, police said.

Hintz was troubled by the suicide but outwardly did not seem especially hard-hit, Newkirk said. Hintz attended a reception after Behrens’ funeral on Aug. 9 and seemed to be holding up well. Later that day, he and his fiancee attended a wedding reception and seemed to be in good spirits.

On the way home, his fiancee said they had an argument, nothing big. Early the next morning, Hintz shot himself.

The families of both men and many of their friends declined to comment, but investigators said they were sure Behrens’ death touched off his friend’s suicide.

“When one person kills themselves,” Newkirk said, “it seems to make it acceptable.”