Widow of Goshen factory shooting victim files claim

GOSHEN, Ind. -- The widow of a factory manager killed in a workplace shooting spree has filed a $2 million claim against the estate of the man who killed her husband.\nMichelle Oswald's husband, Greg, was shot by Robert Wissman Dec. 6, 2001, at Nu-Wood Decorative Millwork. Authorities say Wissman was upset about a "love triangle" at work when he opened fire and wounded six others before killing himself.\n"I don't hold the Wissman family responsible. I do, obviously, hold Robert responsible," Oswald told The Truth of Elkhart for a story published Saturday.\nThe value of Wissman's estate is unknown, but he did own three houses near downtown Goshen, two of which he rented out.\nSouth Bend attorney Michael Murphy, who represents Wissman's estate, was unavailable for comment Friday.\nOswald's claim was filed this week in Elkhart Circuit Court.\nShe is also considering a lawsuit against the northern Indiana city, claiming that Goshen police did not act quickly enough.\nOswald has filed a tort claim notice with the city, which is the first step in pursuing a lawsuit.\nCity attorney Larry Barkes said the city plans to respond to Oswald's claim by the end of next week. Barkes said the city could be held liable for no more than $300,000 if Oswald's claims are true.\nOswald has criticized police for ignoring a phone call from her husband a couple of hours before the shooting, waiting two hours to enter the scene of the shooting, waiting too long to remove her husband's body and not telling her about his death until the evening of Dec. 6.\nOswald said if Goshen officials deny her earlier tort claim, which said police mishandled their response to the shootings, she will file a lawsuit against them before the end of the month.\n"If they deny anything, we will go 100 percent full steam," she said.\nCity police have finished their investigation into the day's events, but the city's insurance carrier is also conducting an investigation.\nOswald said she has filed similar tort claims against other agencies involved in responding to the shootings, but not against Nu-Wood.