TODD GRAHAM, MD, was shot twice in the head in the parking lot of a neighboring facility.

An Indiana man shot and killed a pain management physician last week, apparently as retaliation for refusing to prescribe opioids for his wife's chronic pain, police say.

Todd Graham, MD, 56, was a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at South Bend Orthopaedics and a consulting physician at the University of Notre Dame.

"He did what we ask our doctors to do," said St. Joseph County (Ind.) prosecutor Ken Cotter at a news conference. "Don't overprescribe opioids."

The accused killer, Michael Jarvis, 48, and his wife, Petra Jarvis, had seen Dr. Graham Wednesday morning and unsuccessfully sought a prescription for opioids. Dr. Graham reportedly told the couple that he doesn't believe chronic pain requires opioids. Mr. Jarvis allegedly returned to the medical campus 2 hours later and shot Dr. Graham in the parking lot of a neighboring building. He then drove to a friend's house and shot and killed himself, say officials.

The shooting and suicide occurred within hours of each other in Mishawaka in northern Indiana, a state that's been particularly hard hit with opioid addiction over the past several years.

Dr. Graham was board certified in both physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine. He was married and had 3 children.

Jim Burger