VERMILION — Julene Simko fired a warning shot at the intruder or intruders she said entered her home and shot her husband Jeremy Simko to death last week, according to her attorney Jack Bradley.

Bradley said Julene Simko had been sleeping on a couch on the home’s third floor, where she had gone to sleep because her husband was snoring loudly, when her husband was shot to death.

Bradley wouldn’t say what prompted her to grab a weapon and fire, but she has provided the information to police who responded to her frantic 911 call just after 6 a.m. Nov. 18, Bradley said.

Julene Simko told the 911 operator that her husband was shot in the front of his head as he lay in their bed. County Coroner Paul Matus has ruled the 36-year-old’s death a homicide.

On Friday, Vermilion police Chief Bob Kish declined to comment on specifics of the investigation — such as whether gunshot residue was found on Julene Simko or whether the suspected murder weapon was found in the home at 2001 North Ridge Road.

He also refused to say whether police have a suspect.

“We have theories in the case, but we have to prove it,” Kish said.

Police collected evidence from the home including firearms, DNA and video from surveillance cameras Jeremy and Julene Simko had around their property and all of that was sent for testing and review by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Kish said.

Kish refused to say how many guns were taken from the home and whether police believe any of the guns had been fired.

“That’s why we’re doing the BCI tests,” Kish said.

He also declined to say whether the security cameras had provided any leads. Bradley said there was no surveillance camera near a side entrance near the driveway, so he said he is unsure what — if anything — the cameras might have captured that will be of use to investigators.

Besides the front and rear doors, Bradley said an assailant or assailants could have entered that side door.

“It may or may not (be helpful),” Bradley said of the video. “There are blind spots in any surveillance system.”

In the days following Jeremy Simko’s death, Bradley said the home was broken into twice.

About $2,000 in cash was taken from a desk drawer on the second floor, he said.

Also, whoever entered the house twice tried to force open a safe that had been emptied by police, Bradley said.

He said police took business documents related to the couple’s tree-trimming service, personal papers and Julene Simko’s wedding ring, which had been kept in the safe. The first break-in was reported Saturday and there was no sign of forced entry, Bradley said.

The second break-in apparently occurred between 3:30 p.m. Saturday and early Sunday morning when neighbors reported the Simko’s German shepherds were barking, he said. A window was left open at the time of the second heist, Bradley said.

Meanwhile, Bradley said Julene Simko and Jeremy Simko’s family were among hundreds of people who attended visiting hours and a private funeral for Jeremy Simko. Bradley said he has listened to the 911 call his client made following her husband’s death. “

I think it shows someone who had discovered a horrifying crime in their home,” Bradley said.

Although much of the call is unintelligible, Julene Simko can be heard telling the dispatcher that “somebody shot my husband” and that someone was in their house.

She also said on the tape that the doors of their home were locked and gave permission for police to force their way into the house.

As a dispatcher is talking Julene Simko through CPR, she tells the dispatcher that Jeremy Simko was blue and that he wasn’t breathing.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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