Man Stabs Stepfather, Sister Before Jumping Off Building

"BROOKLYN, NY — A 30-year-old Brooklyn man stabbed his stepfather to death early Tuesday, then committed suicide by jumping from the building, police sources said.

"Suspect Kostyantyn Proskurnyak’s 29-year-old sister was also stabbed trying to break up the attack, but is expected to survive, officials said.

"The violent family drama erupted shortly past 2 a.m. at the family home on Ocean View Ave. in Brighton Beach.

"Proskurnyak attacked his stepfather Voclodymyr Yeushchenko—stabbing the 59-year-old in the neck—during an argument inside a first-floor apartment, police said.

"When his sister intervened, she was knifed in the head, back and wrist, though it wasn't immediately clear if her brother had attacked her intentionally.

"She ran off and called police when she reached Brighton Beach Ave. and Coney Island Ave., about two blocks from the bloody scene, officials said.

"Cops raced to the apartment and found the father dead inside. A knife that police believe was used in the murder was found near Yeushchenko’s body.

"Proskurnyak was outside the building, officials said.

"He was suffering from multiple injuries after having apparently fallen from a second-floor window.

"Proskurnyak was rushed to Coney Island Hospital, where he died at 3:25 a.m. His sister was being treated as Lutheran Medical Center Tuesday afternoon.

"It was not immediately clear what sparked the bloodshed."

From nydailynews.com...

Mom Tosses Kids Out Window, Jumps

"LAS VEGAS, NV — Las Vegas police said a valley mother tossed her six-month-old baby and her toddler out of a second story window, before jumping herself.

"It happened just before 6 a.m. Thursday on Spiritual Way near Lake Mead and Walnut. All three survived, but those children are in critical condition.

"`This is a criminal investigation. We are investigating right now attempted murder by child abuse,` said Lt. Dan McGrath.

"Police said the woman who lives at the home, tossed her baby and toddler out the window, and then jumped herself.

"Police said no one actually witnessed the incident but there were other family members home at the time. They found the three in the backyard, and one of them called authorities.

"Abuse and neglect teams were expected to stay at the scene for many hours, as they tried to figure out why this may have happened. But they did have one clue.

"`The report from the family is that the female was suffering from some type of depression,` said Lt. McGrath."

From jrn.com...

Couple Jumps Off Bridge After Murdering Relative

"SUFFERN, NY — An apparent murder and double suicide that ended with a Suffern, N.Y., couple leaping from the George Washington Bridge on Monday was rooted in a months-long family dispute over money and possible drug use, police said Wednesday.

"Gary Crockett, 41, and his girlfriend, Nicki Hunt, 40, jumped off the bridge around 11 a.m. Monday. Hours later, a relative found the body of Hunt's 70-year-old uncle, William Valenti, who had been strangled in his Suffern home.

"The discovery set off a hunt for Valenti's green Chevrolet Malibu. When Suffern police heard that a couple in their forties jumped off the bridge, they immediately suspected that the suicides were related to the murder, Suffern Police Chief Clarke Osborn said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

"Valenti’s body was discovered in the bedroom at 88 Washington Ave. where he had lived with Crockett and Hunt, police said. The couple appeared to have recently taken between $1,000 and $1,500 from Valenti’s bank account through withdrawals and forged checks, police said. Valenti apparently gave them a deadline to repay the money but they didn’t do it.

"Police found two notes written by Hunt at the home. One said she and Crockett took `Uncle Bill` to the hospital. The other was from Hunt to her four children, apologizing for the life they have led and for her actions. Police would not reveal any more details from the note."

Read more at NorthJersey.com...

Bitter Custody Battle Escalates Into "Holiday Death Plunge"

"NEW YORK, NY — A distraught dad threw himself and his 3-year-old son off the roof of a 52-story West Side skyscraper Sunday in a holiday death plunge that apparently stemmed from a custody battle, police said.

"The 35-year-old man, Dmitriy Kanarikov, died after jumping from the Lincoln Square tower at 12:05 p.m. The red-haired tot, Kirill, dressed in Christmas pajamas, died moments later at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, cops said.

"The shocking tragedy came just three months after Kanarikov, an immigrant from Ukraine, wrote on his Facebook page how he aspired to be an outstanding parent and spouse.

"`I want to be the best dad and husband—nothing is more important to me right now,` Kanarikov wrote.

"His estranged wife, Svetlana Bukharina, boasted on her Facebook page in March, `I have the best husband and son in the world.`

"But apparently their home life imploded in recent months.

"Kanarikov and Bukharina split, and the cherished time he had with Kirill was curbed by a custody fight.

"Their breakup was so fraught with anger that they had to meet in a public place—the NYPD’s 17th Precinct stationhouse—to drop off and pick up their son, a source said.

"Kanarikov picked up Kirill at 10 a.m. Sunday at the designated precinct and was to return him there at 1 p.m., the source said.

"Cops said the bodies landed on the roofs of two different buildings neighboring the South Park Tower at 124 W. 60th St., where Kanarikov tossed his son and jumped to his death.

"The father’s body was found on the roof of a low-rise building at 425 W. 59th St. while the son’s landed atop a four-story building at 445 W. 59th St., police said."

Read more at the New York Daily News...

Wife-Shooter Jumps Off Balcony

"VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Virginia Beach police say a husband and wife are dead after a domestic dispute on Sunday.

"Police said the husband, identified as 45-year-old Dennie Black, is the suspect in the case. His wife, 45-year-old Tammy Black, was identified as the victim in the investigation.

"The incident took place at the Chesapeake House condominiums in the 3500 block of Shore Drive. Officer Lonnie Cain with the Virginia Beach Police Department said officers arrived at the condo building around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

"Virginia Beach dispatchers initially [said] the incident was being investigated as a murder/suicide, but Cain said police initially responded to the building for a 911 call about a firearms violation. He said someone inside the building heard a shot fired.

"Neighbors and people who say they know the couple said the shooting happened on the sixth floor.

"`The officers found a deceased female inside of a residence, located in that apartment complex,` said Cain.

"Dennie Black's body was found outside of the building. Investigators said Dennie Black was a resident of the building.

"A man who said he owns several units in Chesapeake House said Dennie Black jumped off a balcony."

Read more at wavy.com...

Bridge Jumper Dies After Stabbing Business Partner

"GOLETA, CA — A 66-year-old man suspected in a stabbing leaped to his death from a freeway overpass in western Goleta early Monday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.

"Thomas Hutchison Jr., 66, jumped from the Cathedral Oaks Road overpass on Highway 101 at about 4:15 a.m., sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.

"`When sheriff’s deputies arrived to make contact with the subject, he jumped from the overpass and landed below on the shoulder of the northbound 101 freeway,` Hoover said. `Despite life-saving measures by paramedics, the subject was pronounced dead at the scene.`

"The incident began at about 4 a.m. at a residence on the 600 block of Mayrum Street, in a neighborhood near San Marcos High School, Hoover said.

"Deputies found the victim—Rubel Trevino, 56—who had been stabbed.

"Trevino identified Hutchison—his business partner—as the person who had broken into his residence while he was sleeping and had attacked him, Hoover said.

"Trevino told deputies he was able to run away and call for help, while his attacker fled in a vehicle to his home, which is near the Cathedral Oaks Road overpass, Hoover said.

"`Approximately 15 minutes later, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a subject attempting to jump from the Winchester overpass in Goleta,` Hoover said.

"Trevino was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was recovering from his injuries.

"Hutchison and Trevino appear to have been business partners in a company called About the Children LLC, with offices on Castilian Drive."

From noozhawk.com...

Baby Survives Mom's Suicide Plunge

"NEW YORK, NY — A woman holding a baby boy fell eight floors from a New York City apartment window to her death in an apparent suicide, but the baby survived.

"Police found 45-year-old Cynthia Wachenheim with 10-month-old baby Keston in her arms.

"An officer took the baby to a hospital, where he was said to be in a critical but stable condition.

"Wachenheim was pronounced dead at the scene. A seven-page note was found inside the apartment, under the bed.

"In the note, Wachenheim reportedly said she understood she was about to do something “evil”, but that she was worried about how her baby was developing, police said.

"It was not clear whether the baby has any diagnosed physical or mental problems.

"There were no safety bars on the windows."

From the Irish Examiner...

"Quiet Neighbors" Involved In Attempted Murder/Suicide

"WAIPAHU, HI — Residents of a Waipahu neighborhood say the couple involved in Sunday night's attempted murder-suicide were quiet neighbors.

"Neighbors say the couple recently got married and kept to themselves.

"`It's usually quiet here,` said Rhona Ramos, neighbor.

"`It's a dead-end street, rarely people come here and make trouble,` said Jayna Muao, neighbor.

"But the scene at Apii Place in Waipahu, was much different Sunday night. At 11:00 p.m., police were called to a domestic dispute at this house.

"`As we come outside, there were a lot of cops, we heard people cursing and stuff,` Muao said.

"Police say 40-year-old Anthony Kaai repeatedly hit his 23-year-old wife in the head with a hammer. Neighbors describe a chaotic scene.

"`An older lady running out of the door and she was hysterical and screaming. And I heard a man say 'it's a hammer,'` Ramos said.

"According to police, Kaai fled on foot to the nearby Hiapo Street Bridge. That's where police tried to negotiate with him. They say he refused to cooperate, jumped, and later died.

"Police closed nearby streets as they investigated the incident."

From KHON2.com...

Dead Jumper Is Suspect In Woman's Murder

"AURORA, IL — A man suspected of stabbing to death a 50-year-old North Aurora woman jumped from his third-floor window about 9 p.m. Monday and died Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

"Moments after the man jumped from his home on the 300 block of South Lincolnway Street, North Aurora police discovered the body of Tomi Vandiver `unresponsive and cold to the touch,` according to a news release issued Tuesday afternoon.

"Vandiver, also a resident of the building on the 300 block of South Lincolnway Street, was pronounced dead at the scene, the apparent victim of a stabbing, authorities said.

"The Kane County coroner’s office will be to conducting an autopsy.

"The man who jumped has been identified as 58-year-old North Aurora resident, but his name has not yet been released. Police said he is considered the suspect in Vandiver’s death.

"He originally was transported to Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora and died late Tuesday afternoon after being transferred to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, authorities said.

"After preliminary investigation, police determined Vandiver had a romantic relationship with the 58-year-old man accused of killing her. She apparently went to his apartment early Monday evening to gather some of her things before planning to meet a different man who lived in the building.

"According to online records, Vandiver lived at 311 S. Lincolnway Street in the Eden Supportive Living community. The community’s website says it is `designed for people with disabilities who expect privacy, independence and dignity.`"

Source: Daily Herald...

UPDATE:

11/01/2012 — "Everyone said he was a wonderful man"...

Police Suspect Killer Jumped Off Bridge

"TRENTON, NJ — A 54-year-old woman stabbed to death in her North Trenton home early yesterday may be the victim of a murder-suicide, as the man believed to be her killer jumped from the Delaware Memorial Bridge hours after the slaying, according to two police sources with knowledge of the investigation.

"Florence Grayson, 54, was found stabbed to death on the floor of an upstairs bedroom in her home on 1326 North Olden Avenue about 12:15 a.m. yesterday, Sgt. Mark Kieffer said yesterday. Grayson, who had been stabbed in the chest, is not believed to be the victim of a random crime.

"`We believe that she knew her attacker,` Kieffer said.

"Grayson was discovered by another person who lives with her, and it was unclear how long her body had been inside the house. Kieffer would not say if police had identified a suspect.

"But two police sources who were not authorized to speak on the record said a car registered to the same address was found on the Delaware Memorial Bridge on Tuesday. There has been no sign of the male driver, who authorities in Delaware said jumped off.

"Several Delaware-based fire companies were called out Tuesday morning to search for a jumper who plummeted from the bridge, which extends from Pennsville to New Castle, Del. According to officials from those fire companies, the body was sighted in the water but could not be immediately recovered.

"`The body went under, and they couldn’t find it after that,` Holloway Terrace Fire Co. Chief Paul Maxwell said.

"`The only thing we found was a pair of shoes,` Holloway Lt. Paul Riccio said."

From nj.com...

Florida Jumper Was Maryland Slasher

"WHEATON, MD — The man police believe killed a Wheaton woman Saturday morning was taken into custody by Florida police Tuesday after he jumped off a nine-story building in an apparent suicide attempt.

"Martire Puente-Fulcar, 31, remains in critical condition in a Miami area hospital Thursday after officers from the Miami Beach Police Department responded to an apparent suicide attempt at the Versailles Hotel, located at 3425 Collins Ave. in Miami, said Sgt. Bobby Hernandez, a spokesman for Miami Beach police.

"`Right now he’s in the hospital recovering from the injuries that he sustained when he jumped,` Hernandez said. `He was not conscious when officers arrived; he was discovered by a hotel security guard who called it in as an apparent suicide attempt.`

"Fulcar was developed as a suspect in the Montgomery County police’s investigation into the death of 37-year-old Rocio Nikaury Morcelo, who was found dead from multiple stab wounds in the stairwell of her apartment building in the 2200 block of Georgian Way in Wheaton at 3:31 a.m. Saturday, said Montgomery County police spokeswoman Officer Britta Thomas."

From Gazette.net...

Actor Jumps To His Death After Killing Landlady

"LOS ANGELES, CA — An actor whose character died a violent death on the TV drama Sons of Anarchy plunged to his death in a driveway after apparently killing his landlady and attacking neighbours near Hollywood, police said Thursday.

"Johnny Lewis, who played Kip (Half-Sack) Epps in the FX show, is the only suspect in the death of 81-year-old Catherine Davis, according to Los Angeles police.

"Authorities found them dead Wednesday morning after neighbours reported a woman screaming inside the home, Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

"The home was ransacked, glass was shattered and a dead cat was found.

"Neighbours said a man had jumped a fence and assaulted a painter and homeowner next door.

"The body of Lewis, 28, was found in the driveway. He could have jumped or fallen from the roof, garage or balcony, or tumbled down stairs from a patio area, Smith said.

"It appears Davis had been beaten, Smith added.

"Because of the circumstances, investigators were checking whether Lewis was on drugs or had mental health issues, Smith said.

"Lewis' attorney Jonathan Mandel said the actor did have serious mental issues that seemed to surface fairly recently. He said Lewis' parents and others had tried desperately to help him.

"`Johnny Lewis had a lot of problems, a lot of mental problems,` Mandel said by phone Thursday. `I recommended treatment for him but he declined it.`"

From the Calgary Herald...

UPDATE:

09/28/2012 — Johnny Lewis Murder-Suicide: The Scientology Connection...

Man Stabs Wife, Jumps Off Elevated Platform

"QUEENS, NY — A man stabbed his wife to death before he leaped off the elevated tracks at a Queens subway station Thursday, cops said.

"Amis Cale, 41, apparently attacked his 37-year-old wife, Jennifer, inside their home on 39th Pl. in Sunnyside about 8 a.m., cops said.

"The couple’s 19-year-old daughter woke to her mother’s cries for help and found her father standing over her mother’s bloody body, cops said.

"Cale fled the third-floor apartment before his daughter sprinted out of the building and started screaming for help, cops and witnesses said.

"`She was yelling, ‘Help! Help! Save my mother,` said the building’s super, Elias Suarez, 42.

"`I heard the commotion and went upstairs. I saw her in the apartment. I saw her lying faceup. There was blood everywhere.`

"Cale ran to the to the 7 train subway station at Lowery St. a block away, where he jumped off the elevated platform to the ground below, cops said.

"`I heard a big Boom!` said George Kelly, 50, a retired NYPD officer.

"`I knew something was wrong.`

"The couple—who had been living in the apartment for about six years—was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where both of them died.

"`It’s a terrible tragedy,` Suarez sad. `Jennifer was always smiling. Amis didn’t talk much. They seemed like a happy couple.`

"Their teen daughter was being questioned by detectives in the 108th Precinct stationhouse hours later."

From NYDailyNews.com...

Might As Well Jump

"BROOKLYN, NY — A man jumped to his death from his Williamsburg apartment building after a woman was found dead in his bathtub on Tuesday night, police said.

"Officers responded to a 911 call of an unconscious female bleeding inside 325 Roebling Street around 8 p.m.

"Witnesses said the man ran from the apartment toward the roof.

"The officers followed the man and watched him jump, police said.

"Efriam Gabourel, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The woman, who also lived in the building, has been identified as 29-year-old Liliana Belfor.

"The investigation is ongoing."

From CBS New York...

Jumper Was "Person Of Interest"

"EAST HAMPTON, CT — A 22-year-old man identified as a "person of interest" in the death of an East Hampton woman apparently killed himself Sunday night by jumping five stories from a parking garage at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville.

"Police on Monday identified Oscar Wojtanowski as someone they were investigating in connection with the death of Jaclyn Fitzgerald, 24, whose body was found Friday in her home at 30 Namonee Trail in East Hampton. Her body is at the state medical examiner's office. No cause of death was released Monday.

"Wojtanowski's body is also at the state medical examiner's office in Farmington, awaiting an autopsy, officials said.

"State police are investigating what they termed an untimely death at the Riverview Parking Complex at the casino about 8:15 p.m. Sunday. Although police have not identified the man, people familiar with the investigation said it was Wojtanowski. State police said the person jumped from the garage's fifth floor and was found dead near the garage's entrance.

"Police collected evidence at Fitzgerald's home after finding her body there on Friday. Public records list Wojtanowski as having lived at Fitzgerald's home in the past. Reimondo said that Wojtanowski was at times Fitzgerald's boyfriend.

"`It was a rocky relationship,` Reimondo said.

"Fitzgerald worked as a dancer at the Gold Club in Hartford."

From the Hartford Courant...

BONUS:

Victim's Facebook page...

Mom Slits Daughter's Throat, Jumps Off Bridge

"AHWAHNEE, CA — The Madera County Sheriff's Department is investigating an apparent murder suicide that happened Tuesday morning near Ahwahnee.

"Investigators believe 23-year-old Crystal Lynn Lewis killed her 5-year-old daughter, Marijane Lyn Lewis, before taking her own life.

"The Sheriff's Department is investigating the murder but preliminary reports say it appears the mother slit the child's throat.

"The child's body was discovered around 4:30 a.m. by her grandparents, where she and her mother lived, at their home located on Windsong Way, just north of Ahwahnee.

"Crystal Lewis' body was found under the William Sells Jr. Bridge in Mariposa County, about 2 miles from their home, around 7:30 a.m.

"Madera County Sheriff John Anderson says the case is complicated by the fact that the child’s murder happened in Madera County and the mother’s suicide happened in Mariposa County. `…so they are doing the coroner case and we are looking at a homicide case on this side,` Anderson said.

"The investigation is currently looking for a motive for the mother killing her child before taking her own life."

From CBS47.tv...

Jumper Had Killed Wife, Daughter

"HARBOR CITY, CA — A man this morning apparently killed his wife and daughter in Harbor City, then jumped to his death from a building in San Pedro, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

"The murder-suicide investigation began just after 10 a.m., when the two women were found dead in the 25200 block of Petroleum Avenue, said LAPD Officer Karen Rayner.

"One was woman was described as being in her 50s, while her daughter was in her 30s, Rayner said. Police believe they died from blunt force trauma, but the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office will investigate the cause of death, Rayner said.

"By 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a call that a man jumped to his death from a building in the 300 block of South Mesa Street in San Pedro. He was later identified as the husband of the older victim and the father of the younger woman, Rayner said.

"Police have not yet released the names of the victims.

"`We are actively investigating this as a murder-suicide,` Rayner said."

Source: Contra Costa Times...

Jumper Suspected Of Murdering Woman

"WILMINGTON, NC — A man who committed suicide on Saturday is believed to have killed a woman in a nearby apartment complex before jumping off a North College Road overpass and plunging to his death on Interstate 140/U.S. 17 amid afternoon traffic, a spokesman for the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said.

"Detectives investigating the murder, which happened earlier Saturday at 4506 Coddington Loop Apt. 201, have released few details, except to say that the murder victim was a woman and the suspect who killed himself was a man.

"A spokesman for the sheriff’s office, Deputy J.L. Augst, said late Saturday that detectives were withholding the victims’ identities, suggesting they were still trying to notify family members about the deaths.

"Although it remains under investigation, the case has been labeled a murder-suicide. Detectives believe the man killed the woman, then drove to the overpass and leapt off.

"`That’s a logical series of events,` Augst said. `But with any investigation, you follow all your leads and make sure the conclusion you came to is the best one.`"

From StarNewsOnline.com...

Slash And Jump Killer Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured

"KANEHO, HI — Honolulu police are investigating an apparent murder suicide in Kaneohe.

"A 33 year old woman was stabbed multiple times outside her home following an argument with her boyfriend.

"Police say the victim's mom was also assaulted before the suspect drove off and killed himself a short distance away. It happened around 12:30 near the corner of Kapunahala and Keneke streets.

"Police say the victim and suspect got into a fight last night at their home and she left. She then returned this afternoon with her mother to grab personal belongings and discovered items in the home had been damaged.

"They called police and as officers were on their way to the home the boyfriend attacked them, assaulting the mother and then stabbing the girlfriend multiple times.

"`The victim had ran down driveway and suspect caught up to her at the bottom of road and stabbed her,` said Lt. David Kamai, Honolulu Police Department.

"`She was lying in the road there and bystanders came and tried to giver her CPR,` says Winchell Lee, neighbor.

"Police say the car was found stopped on the H3 freeway where he is believed to have jumped to his death.

"The girlfriend was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died. The mother was treated and released.

"Police say there does not appear to be any prior history of domestic violence between the couple.

"Their identities have not been released at this time."

From KHON2.com...

UPDATE:

09/21/2010 - Killer had 18 criminal convictions...

Jumper May Have Planned Murder/Suicide

"SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A woman who leaped from the eighth story of her burning apartment in the Tenderloin may have tried to murder a man by setting fire to the unit and then killed herself, police said Monday.

"Police declined to give details of their investigation into Sunday's incident, other than to classify the fire as a possible case of domestic violence and to say the arson task force was looking into the fire.

"The dead woman's name is being withheld until relatives can be notified, the medical examiner's office said.

"The woman leaped from the building at 888 O'Farrell St. around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The 35-year-old man who was in the apartment with her was treated for burns at San Francisco General Hospital and is expected to survive.

"No other apartments in the building were damaged."

From the San Francisco Chronicle...