ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
The recent death of a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper is putting the rights of same sex couples in Missouri under a microscope. The long-time partner of Corporal Dennis Engelhard believes he should receive death benefits.43 year old Kelly Glossip says he and Engelhard were together for nearly 15 years. Yet, he says he's being ignored when it comes to the agencies who normally reach out to the families of fallen law enforcement officers.
"He was my true love and he always referred to me as his one and only true love and the man of his dreams," Glossip said. "We were hopelessly in love with each other."
Engelhard was killed on Christmas day while waiting with the driver of a disabled car for a tow truck. He got out of his vehicle and was hit by a passing SUV. It happened on Interstate 44 in Eureka.
Glossip now feels he's been left out in the cold when it comes to financial benefits normally paid to the families of officers killed in the line of duty. He says he has not been contacted by any of the groups that normally offer those benefits.
Glossip believes that has at least something to do with Missouri's law forbidding same sex marriages. That's a law he thinks needs to be wiped out.
"I should have the same rights as any other spouse, as heterosexuals would have. And I just don't understand why people are so bigoted."
Backstoppers paid $5000 to Engelhard's parents. The group says it didn't know about Glossip's and Engelhard's relationship.
The Masters, a group dedicated to helping the families of fallen Missouri Highway Patrol troopers, says they are still reviewing the case.
And for their part, the Missouri Highway Patrol tells us some of Engelhard's benefits will be paid out according to beneficiaries he listed. But a spokesperson says Glossip is not eligible for any benefits through Engelhard's retirement pension because the two aren't legally married in Missouri.
Glossip has a 17 year old son from a previous relationship who he says considered Dennis his step-father.
Glossip is now worried about losing the home he and Engelhard lived in together and his car.
He does say Engelhard's family is helping him pay bills.
A memorial service for Engelhard is set for this Saturday at Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown St Louis.
