NEWTON, Mass. – Newton police are stepping up patrols in the city’s neighborhoods as investigators search for a killer or killers after three elderly residents were found stabbed to death inside their home early Sunday morning.
Police are asking the public to “be alert and vigilant” and to lock their doors and call 911 if they see any suspicious activity.
“As we mourn the victims of this senseless and violent tragedy, we ask all members of our community to remain alert and vigilant,” police said in a statement Monday.
“The Newton Police Department is using all available resources to ensure our neighborhoods are safe. We continue to supplement each shift with additional officers who will conduct targeted patrols,” police said.
Around 10:14 a.m. Sunday, police conducting a welfare check found the three elderly people stabbed inside their home on Broadway Street in the city’s Nonantum neighborhood. A neighbor had called the police when the residents did not arrive at the church on Sunday morning.
There were signs of forced entry into the home, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters Sunday night.
Police also found signs of a possible break-in about a half-mile away on Brookside Avenue, but it’s unclear if it’s related, Ryan said.
Neighbors told Boston 25 News that a couple in their 70s and one of their mothers, a woman in her 90s, lived in the home. The couple who were killed were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend. They were expected to attend Mass at Our Lady of Help Church on Sunday morning to renew their wedding vows.
The killings have rocked the city of Newton, which was named the “wellness capital of the United States” earlier this month. The city also says on its website about Newton, “We have been ranked as one of the safest cities in America multiple times over the past decade.”
Located seven miles west of downtown Boston, Newton has about 88,817 residents with an area of about 18 square miles, according to the city’s website. The city borders the West Roxbury, Brookline, and Allston-Brighton sections of Boston, and Needham, Wellesley, Weston, Watertown, Waltham, and
Newton is made up of thirteen distinctive villages: Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Oak Hill, Thompsonville, Waban and West Newton.
“The safety of our community is our No. 1 priority,” police said Monday. “If you see suspicious activity or have information related to this matter, we urge you to call NPD immediately. We will not rest until justice is served for the victims and their families.”
The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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