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A NEW clue in the case of a Long Island murder-suicide last month may paint a clearer picture of what happened – and why.
In August, Joseph DeLucia Jr., 59, used a loaded 12-gauge shotgun to murder his three siblings, his niece, and then himself after his mother’s passing.
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Originally, Nassau County police believed that DeLucia Jr. may have been cut out of the will, triggering the rampage.
But it turns out that his mother, Theresa DeLucia, stipulated in her will, which was signed in 2007, that all four of her children would split her estate equally.
The will named Frank DeLucia, one of the now-deceased brothers, as the executor.
The executor of a will is the person designated to carry out the wishes and instructions outlined in the will, including distributing assets, settling debts, and handling the sale of property if necessary.
DeLucia Jr. was set to get a quarter of their mother’s assets — an even split among the siblings.
However, it also stipulated that the siblings must sell the mother’s home and split those profits the same – the home that DeLucia Jr. has lived in his entire life and did not want to leave.
“I direct any member of my family who may be living in such home at the time of my death to vacate same to facilitate such sale and empower my Executor to take any and all steps reasonably required to effectuate this provision of my Will,” the signed document states.
Police now believe that the family’s plans to sell the home where he resided threw DeLucia Jr. in a rage.
Theresa DeLucia’s Will Stipulations
In her will DeLucia stipulated that:
- The four DeLucia children were instructed to split their mother’s estate equally.
- They were also directed to quickly sell the Syosset home where Joseph DeLucia had lived his entire life and split the proceeds from the sale.
- The will states that any family member living in the home at the time of Theresa DeLucia’s death must vacate to facilitate the sale, including DeLucia Jr., who had lived in the home his entire life.
THE MURDERS
On August 25, his rage took over as DeLucia Jr. picked up a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun and brutally murdered all of his siblings.
In a fit of rage, DeLucia Jr. murdered Joanne Kearns, 69, Tina Hammond, 64, and Frank DeLucia, 63, in the home’s den before killing his niece, Victoria Hammond, 30.
He then went outside, where he turned the shotgun to himself and pulled the trigger as he sat in a chair in the front yard.
He fired a total of 12 shots, including the one that killed him with a round to the chest.
Police were called to the Syosset residence around 12 pm on August 25.
But by then, it was too late as the 59-year-old had already finished killing his family and then himself.
Police said DeLucia Jr., a former EMT and mechanic, suffered from mental health issues throughout his life.
“The perception of Joseph Jr. was that he was being cut out of the will and was going to be displaced without a place to go,” Nassau County Police Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick told The New York Post.
Fitzpatrick also said the shotgun was legally registered.
The scene was one of the most “horrific” ever seen by Nassau County Police, according to County Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
Ryder spent the majority of his time during a press briefing on Monday pleading with the public to come forward when concerned about someone’s mental well-being to avoid strategies such as this.
Ryder said that neighbors of Delucia Jr. shared accounts with police after the murder-suicide where Delucia Jr. allegedly warned of the shooting.
The commissioner said DeLucia Jr. had told neighbors, “If you hear gunshots, don’t bother calling 911 it’ll be too late.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
