Off-Duty Cop Kills Wife, Then Self in Long Island Home

An off duty NYPD lieutenant fatally shot and stabbed his wife and then turned his gun on himself yesterday afternoon in their Centereach home. Francis Cole, 48, a 19-year NYPD vet who worked at the 68th Precinct, first stabbed wife Elena, 46, in the chest and then shot her in the head. Their 18-year-old daughter tried to intervene, but Newsday reports, "he struck his daughter in the face." The daughter then called 911; Cole, who shot himself in the head, was conscious when the ambulance arrived but he died at the hospital. Suffolk County police Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick says there was "a general atmosphere of trouble," because the couple were getting divorced. Neighbors were shocked and surprised to hear the couple were divorcing; one told the Post, "There was no sign of anything. Never an argument, nothing. They were the ideal family."

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By Jen Chung in News on January 13, 2009 9:02 AM

Comments [rss]

hotspot

I knew these people, it was a crazy thing that happend. But the article is lying, they weren't getting a divorce. Alena the mother was just spending more time at work and Francis thought that she was cheating on him.

The daughter Elena actually had a fat lip at the funeral.

CeeBee

poor kid. disgraceful excuse for a man/father/husband). nyc cops seem to have a lot of problems (mental, physical, social, etc). can't truss it

Steven

Now the teen has no mom or dad.

ed_Extinct

ideal family.

he was a quiet boy, kept to himself.

she was the perfect little girl.

these are common mass media phrases you hear after someone massacre's a 1 or more people.

r1b2

In front of his 18-year old daughter, and then he hit her? That poor girl. This is an awful story. If he was unhappy, he could have killed himself without dragging his daughter into his misery.