Two truck drivers are dead after what police are calling a murder-suicide in Minnesota early on Monday morning.
The tragedy occurred at a FedEx facility in Mahtomedi, Minnesota on February 1st just before 2:30 a.m.
According to StarTribune, last summer, 58-year-old truck driver Todd “Jimmy” Wilemon left his wife, Deborah, in Mississippi and moved to Minnesota to be with Tina, the apparently estranged wife of 49-year-old truck driver David Peterson.
Then in late 2020, Wilemon got back in contact with his wife Deborah and told her he was coming back home to work on their marriage.
“He actually came home and said he was moving home,” Deborah described.
Wilemon moved all of his belongings back to Mississippi, but seemed to change his mind shortly after, and moved to Minnesota once again. Although Deborah says Wilemon never once mentioned being threatened by Peterson, he did send her two emails confessing that he felt “scared and hopeless” and that he and Tina had had a misunderstanding.
Wilemon worked at Ravenwood Transport, a private contractor for FedEx, during his time in Minnesota – the same company where both David and Tina Peterson worked as truck drivers.
According to reports, Wilemon was at the FedEx facility unhooking his trailer when Peterson approached him and shot him in the head. Peterson then shot himself, all while Tina slept in the cab of Peterson’s truck. When first responders arrived, one man was dead and the other was mortally wounded, and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Wilemon was a truck driver of 35 years and had accumulated over 2.75 miles accident-free. He also served on the America’s Road Team Roster, earned the Silver Safety Driving Award, and the 25 year Safety Performance Award from his longtime trucking company.
He was also the winner of several flatbed competitions at the Mississippi Truck Driving Championships, and taught Sunday School.
Additionally, Tina is a 14-year recipient of the Safe Driving Award from FedEx Ground.
“Everything happened so fast and so quick there wasn’t anything anybody would have expected,” Deborah said of the tragic incident.
“We are shocked and saddened by this tragic incident and extend our deepest condolences to the families and team members of those involved,” a FedEx spokeswoman said in a statement. “The safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”