Sep 9, 2008 6:58 pm US/Eastern
Official: All 4 Irvington Murder Victims Shot
Fire Set In Home Believed To Be Cover-Up Of Quadruple-Homicide
IRVINGTON, N.J. (CBS) ―
-
-
Four people died in a house fire Monday morning, and the Essex County prosecutor said it appears the fire was set to conceal a homicide. A fourth person was injured.
CBS
The Medical Examiner determined Tuesday that the two victims found inside a burning Irvington home early Monday morning had suffered gunshot wounds, CBS 2 has learned.
Two others who were pulled from the fire, but later pronounced dead at local hospitals, had also been shot to death. Those two victims were identified as Latrisha Fields-Carruthers, 13, and 18-year-old Zakiyyha Jones. Fields-Carruthers was shot in the head, police said.
The bodies of another female teen and a woman believed to be 40-year-old Candy McLean, who had been taking care of all three teenage victims, were found by firefighters in a first floor apartment bedroom and were severely burned. Their identities have not yet been positively identified.
Police say the fire was set after the victims were shot, believed to be a cover-up attempt.
"Whoever did it was sick. They killed kids, babies," said Raheema White, who knew the victims.
Friends, family and neighbors are all asking the same question: Why would someone do this. The motive is still unclear.
"An unidentified person entered the apartment on the first floor and argued with someone in that apartment. Shortly after that argument, multiple gunshots were heard being fired," Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow said Monday. "It's a horrific crime scene."
A baby was removed from the home unharmed.
"She loved her kids, she helped everybody out," said April Middleton, McLean's sister. "It's the devil. It must be the devil, Satan. That's all I can say, just the devil running loose."
Friends, neighbors and loved ones have been dropping off photos and candles of the victims.
Police are offering up to a $10,000 reward for the arrest of the suspect or suspects wanted in connection with this crime. Anyone with information about this incident should contact the Prosecutors Homicide Squad at 973-621-4586.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
World's Most Useless Facts
Click to enlarge
Gov. Paterson Wants Lawmakers To Address Deficit 41 mins ago 
ME: Armed Teen Killed By NYC Cops Shot 11 Times 3 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Comments