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By Jim Boyle
A husband and wife were found dead in the basement of their Zimmerman home last Tuesday and a third man was found dead later that same day in his St. Michael home.
Sherburne County Sheriff’s Department officials say the deaths are an apparent case of murder-suicide, triggered by a love triangle brought about by online chats of some sort and an online swingers club connection.
  Authorities believe Gary Dean Heald, 59, of Zimmerman shot and killed his wife, Deloris Lynn Heald, 56, and Rory Scott Zitur, 47, of St. Michael, before using a firearm to commit suicide.
Sherburne County Patrol Capt. Don Starry said at an Aug. 20 press conference the three individuals all knew each other through “some sort of (online) chat room.”
Authorities further indicated the evidence suggests Gary discovered an affair between his wife and the St. Michael man, who are believed to have hooked up through an on-line swinger’s club.
But they have said little else about the events that led to the death of Zitur, a partner in the Zieman and Zitur accounting firm in Monticello; and the Heald couple, who moved from Ogilvie to Zimmerman in 2002 after Gary retired from farming.
Starry said family members reported having contact with their mother up until 5 p.m. Monday.
It was Deloris’ employer who noticed her absence on Tuesday morning when she didn’t show up for work on time. The sheriff’s department was alerted after Deloris, who they described as “prompt,” did not return pager calls.
Deputies were dispatched to the Heald home at 26709 Fremont Dr. at 10:47 a.m. to check on her welfare. They arrived to find a well-kept home with things appearing in order. The lawn had been mowed and when deputies knocked at the door and peered inside nothing looked amiss. But no one answered.
One of the Healds’ two sons, Shane or Dustin, was contacted and agreed to come check things out.
Deputies cleared at 11:40 a.m., but were summoned back about 90 minutes later when the son phoned to say he had found a note indicating his father had killed his mother and another male individual named “Rory,” Starry told the Star News.
Authorities arrived at 2:29 p.m. to inspect the note and check the house over. They located a man and woman in the basement of the home on Lake Fremont, but not a third individual, according to a press release.
The couple was identified as the husband and wife, and the investigation into the possibility of a third death continued. Deputies canvassed the neighborhood and checked their own records for any disturbances of late, but none was discovered. Meanwhile, a search warrant was secured and law enforcement officials entered the home at 5 p.m. to process the scene.
They found a number for Zitur on a cell phone, Starry said, and they alerted the Wright County Sheriff’s Department of the situation. Deputies there responded to 89 Halsey Ave. NE in St. Michael and located the deceased adult male.
The investigation continues, but Sherburne County authorities say it appears certain that Gary Heald shot the Wright County man and then came home to Zimmerman to shoot and kill his wife before committing suicide. What they are trying to pin down is the chain of events that led to the crimes, Starry said.
Funeral services for Gary and DeDe were held Saturday at Lewis Lake Covenant Church in Ogilvie. Funeral services for Zitur were held Saturday at St. Frances Catholic Church in Buffalo.
DeDe was a health and wellness director for Sterling House of Sauk Rapids and has worked a number of nursing jobs.
Gary continued to work in a variety of trades following his career in farming.
Watch the Union-Eagle for more on this story.
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