Husband of Winnipeg homicide victim was a 'perfect' employee, former boss says
Kevin Runke, 46, shot himself to death after police tried to pull him over near St. Malo on Monday
The former employer of Kevin Runke, a man who killed himself on Monday, says Runke was a "very nice fellow" who never got mad and was well-liked by customers and co-workers.
"Perfect guy," said Bob Bertrand, owner of Bob's Transmission. "You'd never suspect in a hundred years that something like this would happen. Everyone liked him."
He was such a normal, likeable kind of chap, and then all hell broke loose.- Bob Bertrand
Runke, 46, shot himself after police tried to pull his vehicle over on Monday near St. Malo, Winnipeg Police Service Deputy Chief Danny Smyth told reporters Tuesday.
Police were trying to track Runke down to question him about his estranged wife Camille Runke's death on Friday.
Camille, 49, was found shot to death at a business on Marion Street Friday morning, police said. Camille had been granted a protection order against Kevin earlier this year.
He later attempted to get a protection order against her, but it was dismissed. Two other women applied for protection orders against him. One was granted, the other dismissed.
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Victim of St. Boniface homicide identified as Camille Runke, 49
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'This is tragic,' Winnipeg police say of Camille Runke's death
Bertrand said Kevin Runke worked for him for about 18 months and was valued as an employee and store manager. He put in 12-hour days, five days a week, and was a model employee, Bertrand added.
"Customers thought he was great. He was very caring, good sense of humour, good worker, always on time," he said. "Everything was great. I thought someday he might be taking over the business, but obviously that's not going to happen."
Bertrand let him go in June because Kevin was apparently struggling with the end of his marriage to Camille and it was affecting his work.
"I haven't talked to him since then. Everyone is beside themselves wondering, 'How can things go so bad in three to four months?" he said.
"The change was sudden, right when his marriage broke up. I guess he was asked to leave the marriage and the home and that's when everything went south."
Kevin 'terrorized' Camille, neighbour says
Neighbours of the former couple told CBC News on Monday that Camille was being "terrorized" by Kevin in recent weeks. She went so far as to install several security cameras outside the Elmwood condo the couple used to share based on recommendations from police.
Months before the couple split, Bertrand recalled he and his wife taking the Runkes out for dinner and having a good time together last December.
"Before Christmas we took them out, just the two of them for dinner. They were all lovey-dovey, like newlyweds, not even a year ago," Bertrand said. "You can always tell the honeymoon stage. They were friendly and holding hands. No one suspected any problems there."
Bertrand said the events over the past few days are a complete surprise to him and some of his former coworkers.
"Never once saw him get mad, never saw him lose his cool," Bertrand said. "My two fellows who worked with him couldn't understand what happened, because he was such a normal, likeable kind of chap, and then all hell broke loose."