NEWTON, Mass. — Newton Police are beefing up patrols in city neighborhoods as investigators hunt for the killer or killers after three elderly residents were found fatally stabbed inside their home on Sunday morning.
Police are asking the public to “remain alert and vigilant” and to lock their doors and to 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 on Monday.
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“The Newton Police Department is employing all available resources to ensure our neighborhoods are safe. We continue to supplement each shift with extra officers who will be performing directed patrols,” police said.
The three victims were identified by their church, Our Lady Help of Christians Church, as Jill and Bruno D’Amore and Jill’s mother, Lucia Arpino. The D’Amores were in their 70s and Arpino, 97.
In a letter provided by the church, relatives of the victims said, “Jill and Bruno D’Amore and Jill’s mother Lucia Arpino lost their lives in a senseless act of violence.”
Around 10:14 a.m. Sunday, police conducting a well-being check found the three elderly people stabbed to death inside their home on Broadway Street, in the city’s Nonantum neighborhood. A neighbor had called police when the residents didn’t arrive at church on Sunday morning.
There were signs of forced entry into the home, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters on Sunday night.
Police also found signs of a possible break-in on Brookside Avenue, about a half-mile away from the crime scene, but it’s unclear if the two are 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 house. The couple slain were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend. They were expected to attend Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians Church on Sunday morning to renew their wedding vows.
The Rev. Dan Riley, pastor at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, remembered the victims on Monday, and called them “salt of the earth, wonderful people we all know well.” He said the victims were very involved in the church and attended Mass regularly.
“Jill had taken on the ministry of beautifying our church’s environment. Without a single day of liturgical training she simply followed her heart, caring for the flowers and decorating for the liturgical seasons. She spent endless hours in the care of our church,” the letter from the church states.
In addition, “Bruno was known for his big voice and his exuberant personality and as “head chef’, he proudly flipped the burgers at the parish picnic,” the letter states. And until the pandemic, Lucia “never missed” a 10 a.m. Mass.
“For over 60 years she and her husband Alberto sat in the “North End” section of our church. Lucia will be especially missed on the upcoming Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festa weekend as she faithfully walked in that procession through the streets of Nonantum” well into her 90s, the letter states.
“Many in our faith community are grieving this great loss. We ask for your prayers for them, most especially for their three children and their five grandchildren,” the letter states.
The killings have rocked the city of Newton, which was ranked as ‘America’s well-being capital’ of the U.S. earlier this month. The city also says on its website, “We have been ranked one of the safest cities in America several times during the last decade.”
Located seven miles west of downtown Boston, Newton has about 88,817 residents with a land area of about 18 square miles, according to the city’s website. The city is bordered by the West Roxbury, Brookline and Allston-Brighton sections of Boston, and by Needham, Wellesley, Weston, Watertown, and Waltham.
Newton is comprised of thirteen villages: Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Oak Hill, Thompsonville, Waban, West Newton, and Nonantum, where the killings occurred.
“Our community’s safety is our #1 priority,” police said Monday. “If you observe suspicious activity or have information relative 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 victims’ identities have not yet been released.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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