Former Kansas soccer player Regan Gibbs killed in Lawrence; husband charged with murder

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas Athletics announced in a release this week that former soccer athlete Regan Gibbs died Monday at the age of 25, and in a separate release the Lawrence Police Department detailed that her death is the subject of a homicide investigation.

The Lawrence Police Department stated the incident occurred at 2500 W. 6th St., and that a 26-year-old suspect named Chad Joseph Marek was arrested at the scene and charged with suspicion of murder. A contributing factor that was being investigated was domestic violence. Multiple news reports state Marek, Gibbs’ husband, has been charged with first-degree murder, that he appeared in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday, that a bond of $1 million was set and that he’d return to court May 24.

“Our soccer program is heartbroken to hear about the tragic loss of Regan,” Kansas soccer coach Mark Francis said in a Kansas release. “She was a tremendous teammate and young woman, and touched so many during her time at Kansas. Regan will always be remembered for the impact she had both on and off the field. We share our condolences to her family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”

Kansas athletic director Travis Goff added in that Kansas release: “We are devastated to hear about the loss of former KU student-athlete Regan Gibbs. Our KU family sends our love, support and prayers to Regan’s family, friends and former teammates as we all mourn her loss.”

KATIE MEYER:Stanford goalkeeper remembered at memorial service as a 'total spitfire of energy'

Gibbs was a part of two different NCAA tournament teams during her Jayhawks career. She’s from Naches, Washington. And a GoFundMe with a $20,000 goal has been set up in order to help cover the cost of the funeral and more.

“On the morning of Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 Regan’s mom received the phone call no parent ever expects to receive,” the GoFundMe post reads. “The police informed her mom that Regan had been (killed). Regan was only 25, a beautiful, kindhearted girl who loved Jesus and people. She had a big heart for the homeless and hoped to go back to school to become a Physicians Assistant to do mission work. Regan had a precious soul and she was loved by everyone who knew her. She is leaving behind her mom and four younger sisters who are heartbroken by this tragic loss.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.