New details are emerging about the history between Kate Collins Middle School teacher Nancy Sullenberger and her estranged husband James Sullenberger following a tragic murder-suicide that shocked the area.

Rockbridge County Court records paint James Sullenberger as an abusive husband with a violent temper. However, that picture is very different from the one painted by those who worked with him who describe him as a family man.

During a divorce from his previous wife, Deborah Jo Robbins, Sullenberger was described as abusive, and "guilty of extreme cruel treatment" in court documents.

Records show Robbins alleged that Sullenberger abused her "physically and verbally" causing "fear, physical injury and apprehension."

However, according to Bruce Gardner, who worked alongside Sullenberger, that's not the man he knew.

"He was a very nice guy, caring, certainly a family man," says Gardner.

Capt. C.J. Blalock says the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Office's first encounter with James Sullenberger was earlier this year.

"We responded to domestic call where it's alleged that a domestic assault had taken place, and Mr. Sullenberger was arrested and charged with domestic violence, along with a protective order was issued at that time," says Blalock.

Court records show that Nancy filed a preliminary protective order against James, which he allegedly violated by cutting off electricity, water and telephone service to the house.

Records also show that James had canceled Nancy's cell phone service and changed several of their computer and Internet passwords.

According to court employees, Nancy had asked for a second protective order against him. Both the assault charges and protective order were supposed to be settled in court July 26.

Even amid all the court activity, the sheriff's office says this domestic dispute was still relatively calm compared to many others, making the outcome very unusual.

"We're not aware of ever having a murder-suicide, an apparent murder-suicide ever before, and this is an unusual case in that we had not had any contact really with either party," explains Blalock.

Blalock says, generally in domestic disputes, deputies frequently are called out to settle arguments and protective order violations.

Deputies says they believe James showed up at the house Wednesday night. They say his stepson Chris Saylor arrived home shortly after and confronted him. That's when authorities believe he fired the gun.

"It's our belief and, according to our investigation, that the shots were actually fired at Mr. Saylor," says Blalock.

Saylor escaped the house into the woods where he called 911, but when police arrived, they found James and Nancy already dead.

The news came as a shock to Gardner.

"Jim had just talked about his wife very positively the other day and was trying to get back together with her," says Gardner.

James had previously been married to two other women, and it looked like he was headed for his third divorce.

Gardner says he was set to lose his newly opened insurance business as a result of the divorce's financial burden.