The family of the man who died during a robbery at a Madison Culver’ssays the suspects stood by him while he died slowly of a heart attack as his stepson watched.
Christ Kneubuehl died after suffering a heart attack in a Culver’s when two robbers broke in. Kneubuehl was working on the restaurant's tile in the early hours of the night.
His partner of 17 years, Lisa Obertin, told TODAY’S TMJ4 that Kneubuehl was just 15 minutes from heading home from the job when the restaurant was broken into.
At around 3 a.m. the robbers entered the store from the back door. Kneubuehl and his crew were held hostage for almost an hour. He was forced at gunpoint for nearly an hour to open a safe while the rest of his crew was held in a different part of the restaurant.
“This was a homicide,” Obertin said. “They put him into a cardiac event with the stress they put on him. Forcing him to help to get them into the safe. He saved the other three people including my son by helping."
But Kneubuehl eventually collapsed, and the other members of the crew, including his stepson, begged to save him.
“They begged and pleaded with these two men to just leave so they could call 911 and get somebody there and they wouldn't leave," Obertin said.
The robbers stayed until the got the money from the safe.
“My son tried to give him CPR until the medics could arrive,” Obertin said.
Instead the three men, to whom Kneubuehl was a father figure, could only hold him in their arms as he passed away.
Police say the two suspects are now wanted for felony murder.
