I try not to share this kind of post on the main page of LC, but this I felt I really needed to until the library is fixed and working properly…
First off, I want to send out our sincere condolences to the family members of both Nicole Stone and Bradley William Stone. Our hearts go out to the senseless loss that both families are going through at this time… Our hearts go out to the children who are now left behind…
Nicole Stone
When I saw that there was a killing spree and manhunt in PA, I prayed that it wasn’t DV related, but had a sinking feeling that it would be. Unfortunately, I was correct, and it sickens me to see this unfold. Thankfully it has ended, unfortunately with seven dead, and it was senseless!
What has been sticking out to me the most is the following:
Neighbors said Nicole Stone lived in such fear of her ex-husband that she would sometimes ask her apartment complex's maintenance staff to go in and check her place first because she was afraid he might be lying in wait.
"He would call and just harass her and threaten her," said neighbor Michele Brewster. "She shouldn't have had to live in terror."
"She would tell anybody who would listen that he was going to kill her and that she was really afraid for her life," said Evan Weron, another neighbor in Harleysville.
From the sounds of it, this was the stressor:
Stone had been locked in a child custody dispute with his ex-wife, and Ferman said he targeted people close to him. Last week, Ferman said, Stone made an effort in court to secure emergency custody of his children, which was denied.
I’m sure more will be found out about this, I’d like to know what he was disabled for from the military. Either way, Nicole lived in fear for years from the abuse from Bradley William Stone, more could have, should have been done for her!
This is one of those times where I truly feel that things need to be learned from their deaths, as horrible as it seems, these deaths should not, cannot be in vain! Almost her whole family has been lost because of a monster who felt he was entitled in doing so because he didn’t get his children when he felt he should have them. A big “Thank You” to the PA Courts for protecting those children from this Monster when he went for emergency custody of them!
I usually don’t leave pictures with the news; I did this time because I think it is important to do so. I think it is important to show how much this manhunt affected the area. Too often was still here that domestic violence is a “Family Issue”, and needs to stay within the family. It’s dealt with within the Family Court right? When are people going to open their eyes and understand how much domestic violence really affects society? When are the blinders going to come off the eyes of society and more be done against domestic violence? When are child advocates really going to get pissed off and realize that domestic violence within the family is the epitome of child abuse? That domestic violence is a crime, not just a family issue? That domestic violence is a family issue, that is a health issue, that is a crime, that needs to stop?
I pray that from this, much can be learned. I pray that from this, those that are victims out there not only reach out and get help NOW, but get out and make sure that they are safe from their abusers, because we don’t ever know when they may snap. I pray that from this, those that work within the field can hopefully see ways of making it safe for future victims, because as we know, there will be more. I pray from this, that their deaths aren’t in vain, and that they will not only be remembered, but that something like this is prevented in the future.
ByCRIMESIDER STAFFCBS/AP December 16, 2014, 2:31 PM
DA: Pa. killing spree suspect dead in apparent suicide
Last Updated Dec 16, 2014 5:39 PM EST
PENNSBURG, Pa. -- The suspect in a Pennsylvania killing spree that left six dead has been found dead after a manhunt that spanned two days, according to the Doylestown Township Police Department.
Accused gunman Bradley William Stone, a 35-year-old ex-Marine, was found dead in the woods near Pennsburg Tuesday afternoon.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman says police found Stone's body at around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday about a half-mile from his Pennsburg home.
She says he died of apparent self-inflicted cutting wounds to the center of his body. Officials are still waiting on a coroner to determine cause of death.
Monday's shooting rampage started before dawn at the home of Stone's former sister-in-law in Souderton and ended about 90 minutes later at ex-wife Nicole Stone's apartment in nearby Harleysville, prosecutors said.
His former wife, 33-year-old Nicole Stone, was found dead after a neighbor saw Stone fleeing just before 5 a.m. Monday with their two young daughters. The girls were later found safe with Stone's neighbors.
Police then made the grim discovery of five people killed in two other houses.
Nicole Stone's sister, Patricia Flick, her sister's husband, Aaron Flick, and the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Nina Flick, were killed in the first wave of violence, which was not discovered until nearly 8 a.m. Their 17-year-old son, Anthony Flick, was pulled from the house with a head wound and was taken in an armored vehicle and then by helicopter to a Philadelphia hospital for treatment.
Nicole Stone's mother, Joanne Hill, and grandmother Patricia Hill were killed next at their home in nearby Lansdale.
Anthony Flick suffered "quite significant cutting injuries" to his hands and head, and was in very serious but stable condition, Ferman said. Some of the boy's wounds appeared to be defensive, indicating that he attempted to fight off his attacker, according to Ferman.
"I can't emphasize enough how serious his condition is, but at this point, we are hoping he will be fine," Ferman said earlier Tuesday.
Patricia Flick suffered gunshot wounds to her arm and head, Aaron Flick suffered gunshot wounds to the head and cutting injuries, and Nina Flick suffered cutting injuries, Ferman said.
Patricia Hill was shot to death, Ferman said. Joanne Hill was also shot and also suffered a cut to her neck.
"Clearly, we are looking at premeditated killings - planned killings, intentional, deliberate killings," Ferman said.
Stone had been locked in a child custody dispute with his ex-wife, and Ferman said he targeted people close to him. Last week, Ferman said, Stone made an effort in court to secure emergency custody of his children, which was denied.
Ferman said she couldn't speculate as to whether the dispute was the motive for the killings.
"There's no excuse for snuffing out these six innocent lives and injuring another child," Ferman said, adding that the normally peaceful community has been "shattered" by the events.
SWAT teams and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals all joined in the search. Schools closed and hospitals and other public places tightened security during the manhunt.
Neighbors said Nicole Stone lived in such fear of her ex-husband that she would sometimes ask her apartment complex's maintenance staff to go in and check her place first because she was afraid he might be lying in wait.
"He would call and just harass her and threaten her," said neighbor Michele Brewster. "She shouldn't have had to live in terror."
"She would tell anybody who would listen that he was going to kill her and that she was really afraid for her life," said Evan Weron, another neighbor in Harleysville.
Stone was in the Marines from 2002 to 2008. His specialty was listed as "artillery meteorological man." Stone told a 2011 child support hearing that Veterans Affairs deemed him permanently disabled and that he was collecting benefits from the agency, according to court documents.
The VA had no comment Tuesday. A longtime friend, Matthew Schafte, said he was not aware of any injuries Stone may have suffered as a Marine.
Stone had faced several driving-under-the-influence charges, one of which was handled in veterans' court and led to a three- to 23-month sentence.
He remarried last year, according to his Facebook page and court records, and has an infant son. Neither his wife nor the son was injured.
Nicole Stone became engaged over the summer, neighbors said.
The killings set off the second major manhunt to transfix Pennsylvania in the past few months. Eric Frein spent 48 days at large in the Poconos after the September ambush slaying of a state trooper.
Source:
Marine veteran gunman on the loose after 'shooting dead six family members including his ex-wife after custody battle'
- Bradley William Stone, a 35-year-old Pennsburg resident, was identified as the gunman
- SWAT teams surrounded a row of houses in Pennsburg on Monday
- Using a megaphone, a cop said: 'Bradley, this is the police department. Come to the front door with your hands up. You're under arrest'
- The first victim was named as Nicole Hill, Stone's ex-wife
- He also killed his ex-sister-in law, her husband and their daughter, 14
- Stone then shot his daughter's grandmother and great-grandmother
- Stone is known to use a cane or walker and may be wearing military fatigues, in either sand or green color
- He was seen leaving the shooting scene with his two young daughters in their pajamas. The girls were later found with a neighbor unharmed
- A teenager was also seriously wounded by the gunman
By LOUISE BOYLE and WILLS ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:15 EST, 15 December 2014 | UPDATED: 19:15 EST, 15 December 2014
A Marine veteran gunman was still on the loose on Monday hours after he shot dead six relatives including his ex-wife following a bitter custody battle, according to authorities.
Bradley William Stone, 35, was identified as the gunman who left six dead and another seriously wounded at three locations in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, an hour from Philadelphia.
According to the county's District Attorney the 35-year-old killed his ex-wife Nicole Hill, his ex-sister-in-law Patricia Flick, her husband and their 14-year-old daughter.
He then is believed to have gone on and killed Hill's mother, 57, and grandmother, 75.
SWAT teams on Monday afternoon surrounded a row of houses in Pennsburg where Stone was allegedly barricaded inside following the shooting spree.
Stone was described as 5'10' and 195lbs with a shaved head. He is known to use a cane or walker to assist him, may be wearing military fatigues, in either sand or green color, and is believed to be armed.
Bradley William Stone, a 35-year-old Pennsburg resident, was identified as the gunman who reportedly left six dead and another seriously wounded at three locations in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His ex-wife, Nicole Hill (right), was named as the first victim
Police gather near a home on Monday in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, where suspect Bradley William Stone is believed to have barricaded himself inside after shootings at multiple homes
Police move with an injured person in the back of a police vehicle near the scene of a shooting on Monday after SWAT teams reportedly stormed a building where a shooting suspect was believed to have barricaded himself
An armed sniper monitors the row of houses in Pennsburg on Monday where suspect Bradley Stone was believed to be holed up inside
Stone abandoned his truck and cell phone and is believed to have taken shelter in a house following the spree.
In a statement, the Montgomery Country District Attorney's Office, said: 'Stone should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about Stone’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately. Do not approach him.'
Police zoned in on a row of several homes in Pennsburg where Stone is believed to own property.
Using a megaphone, Fox reported that a cop shouted at the house: 'Bradley, this is the police department. Come to the front door with your hands up. You're under arrest.'
Several flash-bang devices were set off, typically used to disorientate suspects.
Stone has a history of DUI arrests, according to records, and was a reservist until 2011. He served one deployment in Iraq, according to ABC, and left as a sergeant.
The first shooting was reported around 4am on Monday in Harleysville. The victim was named as Nicole Hill, Stone's ex-wife.
Officers found a woman's body with a gunshot wound to the head in a second-story apartment following 911 calls which reported shots, screaming and sounds of a disturbance.
A neighbor told ABC that she heard three or four gunshots in the early hours of the morning and the father leading his two young daughters away from the home in their pajamas without coats.
The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said: 'I heard the kids say, ''Mommy no. I want my mom.'' And I heard [the suspect] say ''Let’s go. We have to go now. We’re leaving.'''
The woman said that she opened the window and called to the man to ask him if everything was ok. He responded: 'She's hurt pretty bad', before getting in the car and driving off.
The body of Stone's ex-wife Nicole Hill was found this morning
Police had cordoned off the shooting scene in Pennsylvania on Monday where a man is suspected of shooting dead his ex-wife and trying to flee with his young daughters
Bullet holes could be seen in the apartment wall in Harleysville, Pennsylvania where a Marine veteran reportedly gunned down his ex-wife
Emergency responders cover the back of a vehicle where reportedly an injured teenager was stretchered on Monday after SWAT stormed a home in Pennsylvania
A police officer moves near a home in Souderton on Monday where a teenage boy was found wounded
Police tactical response officers move near the scene of a shooting on Monday in Souderton, Pennsylvania. A suspect is believed to have barricaded himself inside a property after shootings at multiple homes
Other neighbors claimed that the couple had an ongoing, bitter custody battle over their children. The girls were found safely a short distance away with a neighbor.
Around 30 minutes later, two people were found shot and killed at a home in Lansdale, another township that is a short distance from the first scene.
Just after 8am, two bodies were discovered at a home in Souderton.
The location of the sixth victim is unknown at this time. All the victims were believed to be related to Nicole Hill.
A stand-off ensued this morning at a separate home in Souderton after police thought that the gunman had barricaded himself inside.
A SWAT team stormed the home and set off a flash-bang device. A teenager was found inside with a gunshot wound and rushed to hospital by helicopter in a serious condition.
It was later confirmed by Towamencin Police Chief Tim Dickinson to Bucks County News Feed that the shooter was still being sought by authorities.
SWAT team members were on Monday trying to track down a shooter, suspected of killing five people in Pennsylvania
SWAT team members move in on a house on Monday morning in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania after a gunman, suspected of shooting dead five people, remained at large
A police officer stands at the door of a crime scene at a home on Monday in Souderton, Pennsylvania
VIDEO
Police officers surround a home in Souderton on Monday morning after five bodies were found at three other separate crime scenes
SWAT team members were reportedly going door to door in Souderton to locate the gunman on Monday after arriving in a military personnel carrier.
Snipers were taking position in back yards, Fox reported, and several streets were blocked off to the public on Monday.
Sources also said that the victims were shot at close-range.
Source:
6 dead, suspect on loose in suburban Philadelphia
By MARYCLAIRE DALE and SEAN CARLIN
Associated Press
PENNSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A man suspected of going to three houses in the Philadelphia suburbs and fatally shooting six people, including his terrified ex-wife and her 14-year-old niece, was at large Monday night, and a prosecutor said investigators didn't know where he was or how he was getting around.
Police recovered the cellphone and car of Bradley William Stone, who had recently been in court fighting with his ex-wife over custody of their two children. SWAT teams surrounded his Pennsburg home and pleaded through a bullhorn for him to surrender, but Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said it was unclear if he was there.
"As I stand here right now, we do not know where he is," Ferman told reporters at an evening news briefing.
The shooting rampage started before dawn at the home of Stone's former sister-in-law in Souderton and ended about 90 minutes later at ex-wife Nicole Stone's apartment in nearby Harleysville, Ferman said, correcting a timeline that had been based on when the crime scenes were discovered.
Nicole Stone's sister, Patricia Flick, her sister's husband, Aaron Flick, and the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Nina Flick, were killed in the first wave of violence, which wasn't discovered until just before 8 a.m., Ferman said.
Their 17-year-old son, Anthony Flick, was pulled from the home with a head wound around 12:30 p.m. and was taken in an armored vehicle and then by helicopter to a Philadelphia hospital for treatment.
Nicole Stone's mother, Joanne Hill, and grandmother Patricia Hill were killed next at their home in nearby Lansdale. Investigators were alerted by a hang-up call to emergency dispatchers, Ferman said.
Nicole Stone's neighbors at the Pheasant Run Apartments in Harleysville said they were awoken around 5 a.m. by the sounds of breaking glass and gunshots coming from her apartment. They said they saw Stone fleeing with their two children and alerted authorities.
"She would tell anybody who would listen that he was going to kill her and that she was really afraid for her life," neighbor Evan Weron said.
The two children Stone took from his ex-wife's house were safe, Ferman said.
Stone, who's white, about 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, was likely wearing military fatigues and was known to use a cane or walker, Ferman said.
Harleysville, Lansdale and Souderton are within a few miles of each other.
Police with armored vehicles and rifles moved to Pennsburg after spending several hours outside the home in Souderton where several victims were found.
Several school districts ordered students and teachers to shelter in place.
"Everything started being blocked off, the SWAT was then later called in, then we had the tanks pull up," said Don Smith, describing the scene near his Souderton home.
Brad and Nicole Stone married in 2004 and filed for divorce in March 2009, according to court records.
Brad Stone remarried last year, according to records. Nicole Stone became engaged over the summer, neighbors said.
The former had couple sparred over custody of their two children, with Brad Stone filing an emergency petition Dec. 5 and Nicole Stone responding with a counterclaim Dec. 9. The outcome of their dispute was unclear.
Weron, the neighbor, described Brad Stone as a former member of the military. He said Nicole Stone would talk frequently about the custody dispute.
"(Nicole) came into the house a few times, a few separate occasions, crying about how it was very upsetting to her," Weron said.
___
Dale reported from Harleysville. Associated Press writer Kathy Matheson contributed from Souderton and Harleysville.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source:
Additional Resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment