Sat. December 4, 2010
Eureka, Missouri -
When Missouri state trooper Dennis Engelhard, 49, was killed in a Christmas Day accident, everyone at the State Patrol knew he was gay, and that his partner was Kelly Glossip.
But the state has denied Glossip access to Engelhard's survivor benefits, which total $28,000 a year. So on Thursday, Glossip sued.
"Dennis gave his life protecting the people of Missouri, yet the state treats his family as legal strangers," Glossip told the Associated Press. "This is a disservice to his memory."
Glossip and his teenage son, whom Engelhard regarded as a stepson, did receive a $300,000 federal payment provided to families of fallen law enforcement officers. Their focus now is on the benefits from the state of Missouri.
Glossip and Engelhard were together for 15 years. Glossip talks about the day that Engelhard was killed in the video below, which was provided by the ACLU.
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