Widower Of Murdered Judge To File Lawsuit Against Convicted Killer And His Children Citing 'Red Flag' Law

CHICAGO (CBS) -- An elderly client of well-known former judge and Hobart attorney Tracy Edward Page was convicted Wednesday of his 2018 murder, and now the judge's widower is suing the convicted killer and his children.

William Landske, 83, was convicted of murder for shooting Page, a longtime family friend, at close range with a handgun he "always carried," according to attorneys representing Page's husband, Kevin Swanson.

Landske, the widower of former State Senator Sue Landske, had hired Page, 64, to complete tax documents for him, but police said he became enraged to find the documents incomplete.

According to police, Landske's daughter had concerns about her father's mental fitness to carry a firearm in the weeks leading up to the shooting. She and her sister accompanied their father to collect the documents he had hired Page to manage.

As the daughters loaded the boxes into the car, Landske hung back and put his arm around Page, police said. With his other hand, he grabbed a .38-caliber revolver he kept in a holster.

His daughter told police she heard a noise that she mistook for a firework and turned around to see her dad standing over Page with his gun.

He fired the gun several more times before Page's husband, Kevin Swanson, tackled him and took his firearm.

While in custody, Landske admitted to killing Page, police said.

"Gun violence has spiraled out of control in this country and needs to end," said injury attorney Kenneth J. Allen, who represents Swanson. "And we hope to help end it by holding accountable those who knew Landske was armed and dangerous, but did nothing."

Indiana is one of 17 states with "red flag" laws that allow courts to issue orders to temporarily confiscate the firearms of individuals deemed to be a risk to others or themselves.

"Landske's adult children, Jacqueline Basilotta, Cheryl Boisson, and Eric Landske were aware Landske 'always' carried a handgun and that his behavior had become increasingly bizarre. The morning of the shooting, Landske had been conversing with his late wife's ashes, something he apparently did regularly," stated Allen.

Allen said Landske had become "more and more irrational, enraged, and profane; particularly when discussing Page.

The morning of the shooting he told his adult children that today "it would be over."

"We just want to avoid more tragedies," Swanson said.