Kern County Obituaries

June Welchers

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Source Unknown; 28 Mar 1940

Jealousy Blamed In Tragedy
Mojave was shocked last Thursday night to 1earn of the double tragedy which 
had taken place, in our midst when Paul M. Litch, 27, of Los Angeles, a truck 
driver, shot and killed Mrs. June Welchers, 21, who had been working as a cook for 
the Phil Vogel Hospital here, and then turned the gun on himself, driving a bullet 
through his brain. Jealousy was believed to be the motive for the double slaying.
Mrs. Welchers was found by investigating officers shot through the head, with 
her back against her dresser in the nurses' dormitory. Litch was a few feet away 
slumped against one of the room's doors, also shot through the head by a .38 
caliber Hopkins & Allen revolver which was found on the floor of the room by 
investigators.
No Notes Found
No explanatory notes were found in Mrs. Welchers' room, but officers 
declared Litch apparently flung the door of her room open while Mrs. Welchers 
was standing in front of her bureau. Wheeling around to confront the intruder, 
Mrs. Welchers evidently had no chance to defend herself as she stopped a bullet 
in turning reports show.
Upon receiving the report from' Mrs. Don Brink, wife of Deputy Sheriff Don 
Brink, at the sheriff's office, a carload of investigating officials left immediately 
for Mojave to probe the double slaying. Investigators included Undersheritf 
Huston, Coroner Norman C. Houze, Horace Dupes, of' the district's office, 
William Young, superintendent of the identification bureau, and Deputy Sheriff 
Don Brink. The officials entered the death room through a second door which 
was unlocked, Litch's body being slumped against the other door. 

Inquest Held
	Coroner Houze ordered an immediate inquest hearing into the deaths which was 
held on Friday at the Courthouse in Bakersfield, Bodies of both victims were 
brought to the Payne & Son funeral home to await burial arrangements.	
Litch is survived by his wife be1ieved to be in Los Angeles, and his brother Fred 
Litch of Mojave.
Mrs. Welchers is survived by her husband, Edwin O. Welchers, her son Edwin 
M. and daughter Patricia Ann all of Maywood; her parents Mr. and Mrs. Herbert 
G. Carsey, brothers Earl and Jack and sisters Barbara and Lavelle all of 
Hawthorne.