Friends of Lynn and Chris Shimek, the Gilroy couple who died Nov. 28 in an apparent murder-suicide, are seeking help in recovering one of the Shimek’s family pets after it ran away Dec. 1 in Hollister.
The Shimeks have two dogs – a German Shepherd named Scarlet and a full-blooded Shiba Inu named Shiba.
Shiba went missing Dec. 1 after Julie Nagel, a close friend of the Shimeks who lives in Gilroy and was temporarily watching the two pets, brought Shiba to work Dec. 1 because the un-neutered dog was in heat and restless. Nagel works as a dental hygenist in Hollister.
Later that day, someone in the office took Shiba outside for a bathroom break and let the dog off the leash, at which point the dog ran away. Shiba is 7 years old and weighs about 20 pounds.Â
According to the Shimek’s family pet sitter Trudi Souza, Shiba is still on the loose but there have been many confirmed sightings in the Hollister and Tres Pinos areas; specifically in front of the Tres Pinos Inn at 6991 Airline Highway.
Souza said Shiba has been spotted traveling along the riverbed in Tres Pinos with a black, male Labrador Retriever. Friends of the Shimeks believe Shiba – described as resembling a “little red fox” – could be pregnant and will likely become desperate for food in the coming weeks.
The plan is for both dogs to be returned to the Shimek’s sons, 19-year-old Forest and his younger brother, 13, when permanent arrangements are made for the boys to move back to Gilroy. The siblings are currently staying with a paternal aunt in San Jose.
The other dog, Scarlet, is temporarily staying at a training/boarding facility called K9 Ambassadors in Hollister.
Call: (408) 966-8877
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About the Shimeks
The bodies of Lynn, 43, and Chris, 51- a San Jose police sergeant of 16 years – were found by Gilroy police officers around 9:39 p.m. Nov. 28 inside the couples’ two-story home on the 9400 block of Rodeo Drive in Gilroy.
Circulating reports from various media outlets cite “anonymous” sources who allege Lynn may have been strangled; that the couple was found lying side-by-side in the master bedroom with her hand in his; and that there were signs of a struggle.
When asked if he could confirm any of these claims, Capt. Jim Gillio with the Gilroy Police Department reiterated the GPD “absolutely has not” released any official information related to the cause of Lynn’s death, or details of the crime scene.
According to the GPD, Chris died “from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Gillio said he did not know if the gun was Chris’s personal property, nor if he used a police-issued gun to kill himself.
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office does not have a projected timeline for releasing the Shimek’s autopsy reports. It could take up to 12 weeks before Lynn’s cause of death is released, the spokesman said.
