Story Updated: May 29, 2009 at 9:54 AM PDT
By John Aguilar (Contact), Vanessa Miller (Contact)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Courtesy photo
Elizabeth Schwarzenbach-DiLeo poses at left, along with her husband Philip Frank DiLeo, right, and their son, Philip Christopher, in this photo provided by family friend Linda Levin, center, who holds her daughter Ivy.
Courtesy photo
Philip Frank DiLeo holds his son, Philip Christopher, in this undated photo provided by family friend Linda Levin.
BOULDER, Colo. — Philip F. DiLeo's wife and son were victims of his violent temper long before he fatally shot them and himself Monday, friends of the Boulder family said Thursday.
Philip Christopher DiLeo, 23, was a normal, sweet and bright teen who loved basketball and inspired his friends to do better in school, said Forest Summers, of Longmont, who was one of Christopher DiLeo's best friends when they both attended Boulder High seven years ago. DiLeo's biggest struggles in life, Summers said, were his parents' constant fighting, their overbearing drive to control his life and his father's violent temper.
"I witnessed his dad freaking out almost every other time we were there," Summers said. "His mom and dad would be screaming, and you would hear yelling in the house."
Summers said he eventually began telling his friend that something was wrong with his parents.
"At one point, one of our friend's mom offered to take in Chris and let him live at her house for a while," he said.
But a friend of Christopher DiLeo's mother, Elizabeth Schwarzenbach-DiLeo, 63, said she too lived in fear of her husband — who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and went on and off his medications. In 2005, according to Boulder police, Schwarzenbach-DiLeo went to police to check into the legality of buying a gun, telling an officer her husband had threatened her.
Despite his marital strife, DiLeo — a former firefighter and Boulder police officer — continued living at his family's 2403 Bluff St. home, where police found the three bodies Tuesday.
Police suspect Philip F. DiLeo, 61, fatally shot his wife Monday in the home's kitchen, where a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun was found. Then he killed his son and himself upstairs, where investigators found a .357 Magnum revolver.
Summers, Christopher DiLeo's high-school friend, said he's seen the father brandish a gun before. In high school, Summers said, he and a friend were trying to get Christopher's attention late one night by throwing a tennis ball at his window, which infuriated DiLeo.
"His dad came out with a gun and pointed it at us and started screaming at us," Summers said.
Although the teens and their parents, who knew the family had troubles, said they never expected a fatal explosion, Summers said some people regret never intervening.
"I was talking to my friend's mom, and the first thing she said was, 'I never thought anything like this would happen, but we should have reported the parents a long time ago,'" Summers said. "It was against our better judgment not to. But we had no idea this would happen."
'Out of his mind'
Summers said he and his friends "all loved" Christopher DiLeo, and wanted to protect him when it became clear he was living in a turbulent environment.
"We came to his house to pick him up one time and there was a loud crash," Summers said. "I asked what happened, and he said his dad just smashed a computer with a baseball bat just because he was angry."
Another time, Philip F. DiLeo got mad at his son's friends for borrowing $20 from Christopher, Summers said. Because they couldn't pay it back that day, Summers said, DiLeo took some things from the teen's car. Read More
KINDERHOOK – The deaths of a husband and wife at a home on Rabbit Lane in Kinderhook were the result of a murder-suicide, Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison, Jr. said Thursday. The bodies of Timothy Conway, 58, and his wife, Sarah Witham-Conway, 50, were both found in the home. Autopsies determined the two had died from blasts from a 12 gauge shotgun. Harrison said Conway shot his wife in the early morning hours on Wednesday; then turned the gun on himself in their bedroom. Both died instantly. The gun was recovered at the scene. Read More Police looking for gun used in shooting
Santa Fe Police are still looking for the gun used to kill Sarah Marie Lovato, her unborn baby and her father, Benny Ray Lovato last weekend.
Marino Lebya Jr., the baby's biological father, is charged with the murders.
Capt. Gary Johnson said Thursday that detectives have found ammunition consistent with the 9mm type used in the shootings while searching Lebya's home and vehicle. They've also found a can of pepper spray like the one found in the Lovato apartment after the shootings, Johnson said. Read More
Jacob Myran, 25, has been charged with first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the alleged April incident. The victim told relatives and investigators she was sleeping in a bunk bed at her friend's house in Zumbrota when Myran - who appeared drunk - crawled into the top bunk and allegedly assaulted her while another girl slept in the bed below, according to a criminal complaint filed last week in Goodhue County court. Read More By SULAIMAN ABDUR-RAHMAN TRENTON — Cops arrested an alleged wife-beating father who's being investigated for possible child abuse on his 12-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, police said yesterday. MAY 29, 2009 Authorities are investigating the shooting deaths of an East Orange woman and her ex-boyfriend as a possible murder-suicide. East Orange police responding to a report of shots fired shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday found 29-year-old Marcel Grant shot to death near her car. Shortly afterward, police and detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office found the victim's ex-boyfriend dead in his apartment in Irvington. Read more Apparent murder-suicide in Texarkana A pregnant woman and her boyfriend were found shot to death today in what Texarkana, Texas, police said appears to be a murder-suicide. The bodies man were found when one of them didn't report for work this morning and a co-worker went to check. Police would not say who they believe was the shooter until they receive autopsy results. Read More Ronald D. Wrisinger, accused of killing his wife and daughter almost 23 years ago, pleaded not guilty today in Ray County Circuit Court to two counts of first-degree murder. Wrisinger, 67, was arrested Wednesday at his home in Marble Falls, Ark., after being indicted in the deaths of Sherry K. Wrisinger, 40, and Johnna D. Wrisinger, 16. He waived his right to an extradition hearing in Arkansas and returned to Richmond this morning to face the criminal charges. Wrisinger is being held on $500,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 3. According to the indictment, Wrisinger after deliberation caused the deaths of his wife and youngest daughter. The means of the slayings are unknown, according the charging document. Sherry and Johnna Wrisinger were last seen about midnight June 6, 1986. Sherry Wrisinger had just played cards with a group of women. Johnna Wrisinger was dropped off at home after a date in time to meet her curfew. Read More Man, 82, charged with strangling girlfriend An 82-year-old Deltona man, upset about how his girlfriend loaded the dishwasher, beat and strangled her unconscious, sheriff deputies said. Keller called 9-1-1 at 12:56 p.m. Wednesday, reporting she had been beaten up and was bleeding, according to a Volusia County sheriff's report. She was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City with cuts and bruises, and redness around the neck, sheriff investigators said. According to a sheriff's charging affidavit, Keller told deputies that Strauch got angry about her arrangement of the dirty dishes in the washer, so he choked her with his hands until she lost consciousness. Strauch was being held Thursday at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $5,000 bail. EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- A man who killed his 2-year-old son for spitting out food has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a maximum 50-year prison term. The defendant who entered the plea Thursday, 24-year-old Johnny A. Garcia of East Alton, had been held without bond at the Madison County Jail since Jan. 4, 2008. Read More Man, 25, accused in sexual assault of female child, 8
Jen Cullen The Republican Eagle
Published Thursday, May 28, 2009A Zumbrota man is accused of sexually assaulting his daughter's 8-year-old friend during a sleepover.
Staff writer
Hugo Raldo, 39, of Trenton, was charged with criminal attempt sexual assault and simple assault on allegations he beat his 37-year-old wife and tried to force her to have sex with him, police said.
The alleged abuse on the wife occurred on the 400 block of Whittaker Avenue between November and December 2008, police said. The alleged victim is a Guatemalan and didn't report the alleged abuse because she thought the U.S. law didn't apply to her, cops said. Read More Final Moments Of Meriden Murder-Suicide On Audio Recording
Courant Staff Report MERIDEN — - The final moments of Wednesday's murder-suicide here were captured in an audio recording of a 911 call made by James Canty, who is heard sobbing uncontrollably and apologizing.
Canty, 37, and Michelle Barrows, 32, were found dead in the lower level of their Spice Hill Drive home moments after the phone call. Police released a recording of the call Thursday.
Both Canty and Barrows died of gunshot wounds to the head, and the medical examiner's office ruled Barrows' death a homicide. "I'm sorry. Please come to my house," Canty said through high-pitched sobs. The dispatcher taking the call asked him to calm down. Canty continued sobbing and apologized again. Read More
Shootings may be a murder-suicide
Man pleads not guilty to murder charges from 1986 disappearances
By GLENN E. RICE
The Kansas City Star
Staff writer
Joseph Frank Strauch was arrested and charged with battery by strangulation and a judge ordered Strauch not to have contact with his live-in girlfriend, Lillian Keller, 74, court documents show. Strauch
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