Brother: Gabrieles would not have wanted to be separated

By SUE LOWE, Tribune Staff Writer

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Jon Dawson, Marcella Gabriele's brother, sits next to a memorial left on the front porch of Marcella and Philip Gabriele's Granger home. (Tribune photo/SUE LOWE)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jun 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 17, 2009 at 12:45 AM EST

GRANGER — Marcella Gabriele’s brother said she and husband Philip Gabriele loved each other so much they would not have wanted to be separated.

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RAW VIDEO: Friend talks about Gabrieles' death

"They just cracked under the strain," Jon Dawson said Tuesday. "They couldn’t take it any more."

The Gabrieles, of Granger, were indicted by a federal grand jury last week on suspicion of health care fraud, wire fraud and criminal conspiracy charges.

They were supposed to turn themselves Monday but instead were found dead in their Elkhart clinic.

Dawson said that even if an autopsy reveals his sister died before her husband, "he didn’t murder her. They did this together."

Dawson maintained the couple’s innocence.

"Why has there been no malpractice suit filed (if they did not treat patients correctly)?" he asked. "It was a prosecution that went wrong."

Dawson said he was in charge of maintenance at the Gabriele Eye Institute buildings and the Granger house, and lived with the couple until about a month ago.

He said the couple "changed in the last month."

"They had gotten really down" and wanted family and close friends to stay away so they didn’t get caught up in the investigation, Dawson said.

"It’s a very sad situation," he said through tears. "All my sister and Phil wanted to do was help people."

Staff writer Sue Lowe:
slowe@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7758

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