Suspect in Clay County homicide dies in the hospital

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - The suspect who had been arrested on charges of first-degree murder in connection with a homicide in rural Harvard last Friday evening has died.

Toby Gray, 39, was pronounced deceased Friday morning at Bryan Health West Campus. Gray had been in custody at the hospital since he was initially located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the homicide scene last Friday evening.

A Nebraska State Patrol investigation determined that Gray had called Clay County 911 threatening harm against his wife, Heather Gray, 35. Deputies responded to the home in rural Harvard, where they located Heather Gray deceased from multiple gunshot wounds and found Toby Gray with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Heather had filed for divorce one day prior to her death.

The couple, who married in September 2016, had three young children.

In Heather Gray’s court filing, she requested the court dissolve the marriage, grant her custody of the children, and issue a restraining order preventing Toby from disturbing her or the children at their home or any other location.

When Local4 checked the court cases in the Nebraska Justice system, we learned that the case records were not there as Friday morning. We had reached out to Clay County officials as well as NSP to confirm if the reasoning was due to the death of the suspect.

Clay County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Kreighton Baxter said in a post on Facebook that “this is a heartbreaking and violent incident that has left a lasting impact on the victim’s family and community.”

Baxter said while the suspect’s passing closes one chapter of this case, the effects of this tragedy will not be forgotten.

“Our agency extends its deepest condolences to those who are grieving,” he writes.

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