photo by: Contributed

This photo of Regan Gibbs was shared by her family.

Updated at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday, July 6

Details of how a Lawrence woman died nearly two months ago, allegedly at the hands of her husband, are still not publicly known, and that is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future as the woman’s autopsy report has been suppressed.

The arrest affidavit in the case, which would provide additional details about the circumstances of Regan Noelle Gibbs’ death, has also been sealed by a Douglas County judge.

Gibbs, 25, was found dead on May 16 in the couple’s apartment in the 2500 block of West Sixth Street. Police said her husband, Chad Joseph Marek, 27, called 911 the night of her death and told the dispatcher that “God told him to do it.” Marek, who has been known to profess his religious beliefs with a bullhorn on the streets of Lawrence, has been charged with first-degree murder in her death, and has recently been declared unfit to stand trial. Gibbs’ mother has said Marek tried to control her daughter through religion.

Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart said in an interview the day after Gibbs’ death that she was dead when emergency crews arrived and that her body had experienced a lot of physical trauma but that he couldn’t provide any specific information about the cause of her death until an autopsy had been completed.

The Douglas County Coroner’s Office, operated by Forensic Medical of Kansas City, Kansas, has declined to release that report; a spokesperson with the office said the report “is currently suppressed,” meaning it’s not available for release under the Kansas Open Records Act — in this case under the KORA exception of “criminal investigative records.”

Forensic Medical said the Gibbs autopsy report was suppressed from the day of death at the request of the Douglas County coroner and Lawrence Police Department, and it will remain suppressed until completion of the criminal investigation as determined by LPD and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.

“As for the length of time suppressed, it’s extremely variable dependent on the case/length of investigation or court proceedings,” said Kelsie Pitsenbarger, deputy of investigations and interim director of operations for Forensic Medical. “Some cases remain suppressed for years.”

Marek’s next court appearance in Douglas County District Court is on Aug. 30, when his defense attorney, John Kerns, is expected to give the court an update on his treatment status with Osawatomie State Hospital.

Marek is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail on a $1 million bond.

The Lawrence Police Department has confirmed that Marek and Gibbs were married, though Gibbs’ mother has said that the two were not officially married. Douglas County court records indicate that the couple had filed for a marriage license in November and it was processed and returned in January. Both Gibbs and Marek posted on Facebook that they were married on Nov. 24, 2021.

photo by: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Chad Marek