Its Friday March 11, 2005. About 7:00 AM. I went home from work yesterday just like every other day. Except when I arrived home I noticed an Action News van Driving down my street followed by the Medical Examiner truck. a few minutes later the CID detectives came down my street So I knew there was a problem somewhere. I then got my Daughter off the school bus. I looked up in the sky and there was news helicopter flying over my house... so I thought what the hell is going on and figured I'd go and check it out... I walked across my street and found they had Bennington rd Taped off. with The CID and Folcroft Police everywhere. Then my Mother had called me and told me it was the Borough guy. I was shocked To here this as he was a helva nice guy and I still can't believe he did this. I used to see him Walking his dog everyday. He lived across the street from me and would talk to me about his and my Trucks.
This was one of the GOOD GUYS From BENNINGTON ROAD.
a real shame.
Heres what Iam Talking about...
From the Daily Times Today .....
Elderly woman, son shot dead in Folcroft
FOLCROFT -- An elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, along with her only son and devoted caretaker, were found dead of single gunshot wounds to the head at their borough home Thursday, police said.
James MacNeil, 49, and his mother, Mabel MacNeil, 80, were discovered in their Bennington Road home by coworkers who became concerned when MacNeil, a 30-year borough streets department employee, didn’t show up for work.
Authorities are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide or double homicide. A weapon was recovered and there was no early indication of any third-party involvement, according to police at the scene.
Official cause and manner are pending a ruling by the county Medical Examiner’s office.
Neighbors told police they heard noises emanating from the MacNeil home between 2 and 3 a.m. Thursday.
The bodies were found in separate rooms on the second floor; James MacNeil was in the bathroom, his mother in a bedroom, according to Ruskowski.
The family dog, a Beagle named "Duchess," was also shot and killed.
"We’re investigating this as a murder-suicide, or homicide," Cpl. Robert D. Ruskowski said.
A gun but no note was recovered, Cpl. William Wiseley said.
Borough employees cried when they heard the news. Neighbors who were drawn outside by the late-afternoon police activity were stunned and saddened.
"He was her Lone Ranger," Tom McCormick said at borough hall, just hours after he discovered his lifelong friend and coworker. "He was a helluva guy. Somebody has to speak up for Jimmy."
MacNeil’s commitment to his mother was well known, as were the mounting pressures since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a neighborhood woman said.
Borough secretaries said MacNeil’s challenges at home never interfered with his work or curbed his good-hearted nature.
"Really, Jimmy was the guy who would do anything for you," said secretary Toni Melograno.
Ed Christie, who recently retired as police chief to run for magisterial district judge, said he saw MacNeil picking up trash around borough hall on weekends when he was off the clock.
"Jimmy said he thought he should give back to the community," Christie said.
According to McCormick, MacNeil had been his mother’s lone caretaker in recent years. He was adamant about keeping her at home, though many people suggested he should put her in a nursing home.
"He did the shopping and the cooking. He cleaned her, dressed her, fed her and gave her medication," McCormick said. "Jimmy did everything for her."
MacNeil was just shy of 6 when his father died, McCormick said. "Ever since, it was him and his mom."
McCormick, who also resides on Bennington, described Mrs. McNeil as a hard-working farm girl from Virginia. At one point, she worked at Fiber Metals, he said.
He said it was tough for MacNeil to watch his mother’s decline.
"She was starting to get bad," said McCormick, adding she would wander the neighborhood and MacNeil would worry about her, especially when he was at work.
Working for the streets department, he said MacNeil would stop by when he was in the area, and would come home every day for lunch.
"She loved her Frosted Flakes," he said. "And her coffee."
MacNeil was never one to miss a day’s work without calling in, he said. When MacNeil was a no-show Thursday, their boss, Dan Falcone, rode by the house. When he saw the front door open, he didn’t think anything was amiss.
When there was still no word by 2 p.m., McCormick and Falcone went by the house. McCormick observed MacNeil’s truck was still in the garage, and Falcone noticed running water.
"I knew something was wrong," said McCormick. He went inside and made the discovery. The running water was an isolated plumbing problem and unrelated to the deaths.
McCormick said it breaks his heart to think that MacNeil may have thought he ran out of options.
"Sooner or later, he knew he had to do something," McCormick said.
MacNeil had recently reached out for help with his mother, to find someone who could be with her during the day when he was at work, but McCormick said he was intimidated by all the necessary paperwork.
"They said they would help him," McCormick said. "You know how they did, they just stuck the pile of papers at his front door.
"Jimmy was too proud to ask for help," McCormick said. "He wanted to do things himself."
McCormick said MacNeil’s life revolved around his mother, his work and his truck. He also loved his pets. Before Duchess, they had another Beagle named Digger.
"He went everywhere with his dog," Wiseley said.
The Medical Examiner is expected to perform the autopsies today, an office investigator said late Thursday.
