Staten Island Fire Marshal Found Murdered in Home

A "rising star" in the Fire Department was found with three gunshot to the head in his Staten Island home Sunday morning. The ME's office said that Douglas J. Mercereau's death was a homicide.

It's believed that his 38-year-old wife, Janet Redmond-Mercereau, is a suspect (the Daily News calls her the "prime suspect"). She called 911 around 8:25AM on Sunday, saying she found her husband's body. The Staten Island Advance says the couple had "started divorced proceedings in April 2006, but never followed through." Redmond-Mercereau was interviewed by police and then released later on. She also hired a lawyer.

A source told the Daily News, "He was shot while he was sleeping ... in his bed, no chance to defend himself." The Post spoke to another source who said, "It looks like an execution." Apparently Mercerau was shot initially, "staggered into the living room" (according to the Post), and then the shooter fired again.

The couple had two children, girls aged 5 and 6. A shocked neighbor said to the Advance, "He was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. If there was ever such a 'normal' person, it was him." And Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said, "Supervising Fire Marshal Douglas Mercereau was a rising star ... his death is a tremendous loss for the entire department."