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Chester County Press

Possible murder-suicide reported in Kennett Township

08/09/2022 01:20PM ● By Richard Gaw

By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

In collaboration with several law enforcement and fire units, the Kennett Township Police department is currently investigating a possible murder-suicide that occurred on Aug. 6 late in the afternoon.

Responding to an emergency call registered at 5:45 p.m. that day, the department was assisted by the Longwood Fire Company and its EMS unit and dispatched to the 1000 block of Kaolin Road in the township, where two shots were reported to have been fired at a home.

The police entered the home to find an 87-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman dead on the first floor, both the victims of gunshot wounds. The police recovered a handgun at the scene, and no other persons were located in the home.

The man, who lived at the residence, had been treated for dementia for the past year and required around-the-clock care. The woman was a home health care worker who was serving as a caretaker for the man.

In a statement issued on Aug. 9, Kennett Township Police said they are investigating the incident as a possible murder-suicide, but will review home security cameras and conduct autopsies and toxicology reports before a final determination is made.

Police are still attempting to contact the families of the man and the woman before their names are released.

During the investigation, the Kennett Township Police is also being assisted by the Kennett Square Police Department, the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, the Chester County Detectives, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Kennett Fire Company and the Chester County Coroner’s Office.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].