A triple homicide and an attempted home invasion within a half mile of each other has one of the country's wealthiest communities on edge.
Three elderly people, including two who had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, were found stabbed and beaten to death in a Newton, Massachusetts, home Sunday morning, authorities said.
The victims' names have not been released, but Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said there were signs of forced entry, and it appears, as of Monday morning, to be a random act of violence.
There was a second incident – a reported attempted break-in – the same morning about a half mile away from the murder scene, according to police, but it is unknown if the two crimes are connected.
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Ryan said she could not remember any other triple murders in the city's history during Sunday's press conference and urged residents in and around Newton to "remain vigilant, check your door and window locks, and report any suspicious activity."
"As you can imagine, this would be tragic on any day, to have family gathered for this kind of a celebration makes it particularly tragic," Ryan said during Sunday's press conference.
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Newton Police Chief John F. Carmichael Jr. said, "We are very concerned with such a violent crime taking place in our city," and the suspect or suspects remain on the loose.
Both the chief and district attorney said to expect a large law enforcement presence in the area and asked neighbors and residents of the Nonantum and Newtonville communities to check any video from their homes and call police if they see anything unusual that the cameras may have captured.
The elderly couple – reportedly in their 70s – lived in the same Broadway Street home as one of the victim's mothers, who was in her 90s, and were expected to be in church Sunday, but they never showed.
A "person known to the couple" found their bodies and called police at 10:14 a.m., authorities said.
However, it is unknown when the actual murders took place, according to Ryan, who said it was part of the investigation.
The attempted home invasion nearby took place on Brookside Avenue before the triple homicide was reported, according to authorities.
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There was a sense of urgency from the district attorney and police chief during the late night press conference, where they stressed calling Newton police right away about anything suspicious, at 617-796-2123.
Newton was listed as the 36th wealthiest community in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
Newton, Massachusetts, is one place where the median household income is more than double the national figure, 24/7 Wall St reported.
The typical household earns $164,607 a year, the 36th highest among all cities with sufficient data and 138.5% more than the national median, according to the report.
