May 17, 2008 8:51 am US/Eastern
Police: Fatal Tenafly Stabbings Not Random
Cops: Decomposing Bodies Each Had Multiple Wounds; No Suspects Or Weapons Found, No Motive
Reporting
Lou Young
TENAFLY, N.J. (CBS) ―
It was a call from a relative that brought police to the white house on Tenafly Avenue on Friday.
Officers found the back door unlocked and three bodies upstairs – in three different rooms.
Neighbors heard of the deaths and saw police opening windows to air the place out.
Some theorized it was carbon monoxide poisoning, but there was another, more horrifying reason.
"All three bodies had been decomposing," Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said. "This occurred at least several days ago, but we're not certain. It could've happened six days or seven days ago, perhaps even more."
Molinelli said the victims were an elderly male and an elderly female -- who were not related -- and a younger male. All had multiple stab wounds. The younger male victim appeared to have defensive wounds on his body.
The victims' names were not released pending notification of family members.
No weapon was recovered. Authorities said the house had not been ransacked and there were no signs of burglary.
Investigators said it appeared the bodies had been decomposing for at least several days.
Molinelli said the elderly man's daughter asked her husband to check on the residents because she had not heard from them for some time. The man went to the home, walked in through the unlocked back door, saw one body and called Tenafly police.
Newspapers and mail had been collecting at the house, so investigators believe the bodies may have been there for some time -- possibly as long as a week, Molinelli said.
In this quiet bedroom community, the scenario is unimaginable.
"Shock, shock," neighbor Charles Frotcelli said. "It is unheard of."
The victims are all Asian, perhaps even Korean. The police chief and the Molinelli took pains to reassure neighbors not to panic.
"We do not believe this was a random (act)," Molinelli said. "I don't believe it's a random homicide."
Please stay with CBS 2 HD and wcbstv.com for more on this developing story.
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