Murder in Manahawkin, 2006
Asbury Park Press 10 Nov 2006 STAFFORD TOWNSHIP — Two sisters died minutes apart Thursday after they were shot in the driveway of their home by their mother's ex-boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself. On most Thursday mornings, 15-year-old Jessica Veitch would be in school. But with school out for the New Jersey Education Association's convention, the Southern Regional High School sophomore was able to spend the morning with her 21-year-old sister, Melissa. The young women were shot before they were able to make it to the front steps of their Mercer Avenue home after returning at about 11:30 a.m. from a trip to a convenience store. Neighbors who heard the shots and screams called 911.
"I was in the service, so I knew it wasn't firecrackers," said Thomas Niemiec, 61, who lives a few houses away from the Veitches. Police arrived to find both girls on the ground next to the car, which had its passenger-side window shattered. They were transported to Southern Ocean County Hospital in Manahawkin, where Jessica was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. and Melissa was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m. The victims' mother, Dorea Veitch, was at work at the time of the shootings and learned about the deaths as she was headed home at about 1 p.m., police said. Neighbors reported to police that Melissa might have been pregnant, but authorities said they would not confirm that until an autopsy is done today. Inside the home, officers found the gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said. He was lying across a couch in the living room with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun still in his hand. Stafford Township police said the shooter was an ex-boyfriend of Dorea Veitch.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office later identified him as William Cordes, 52, of Tuckerton. Cordes' name was added to the deed of the home in 2002. Officials said they were still investigating what prompted the shootings and expected to have more concrete information today. "It's a shame that such a beautiful day had to be wasted on something as terrible as this," Stafford Township police Chief Tom Conroy said. "Our hearts go out to the family." Dorea Veitch's 27-year-old son, John, also lives in the house but was not home at the time of the shootings, Conroy said. An answering machine reached at the number listed for the Veitch residence had Cordes' voice on a message for his plumbing business. A woman answered that line Thursday night, but hung up after being asked about the shooting. Concerned neighbors stopped by the street throughout the day Thursday, but the gravest faces were those of the Southern Regional students who stopped by to see if the rumors they had heard were true. "I played basketball with Jessica two years ago," said Meghan Ramos, 14. "She was nice and always joked around a lot. I just can't believe this is happening." Caitlin McMenamin, 15, came to the crime scene clenching a yearbook so anyone interested could see Jessica's picture. "There are so many rumors that aren't true, I was hoping that this was one of them," McMenamin said. One of the pictures of Jessica, who also played in the concert band, was with the gymnastic team, which she was on for the first half of this season. "Jessica was definitely a very outgoing person, she wasn't someone who would just sit in the corner and try not to be noticed," Southern Regional gymnastics coach Mary Frack said. "The rest of the girls are terribly upset over this. It is a very hard day for all of us."
Frack said she expects the entire Southern Regional community will come together to remember Melissa and Jessica properly when school gets back to session Monday. "Tragedies have a way of bringing people together," she said. Kathy Young, who lives directly behind the Veitches with her husband, Arnold, said she remembered seeing the family spending many hours playing in their pool. "I would've never thought something like this could happen here," Young said. Young's feelings were common throughout the community. The home is located in the Deer Lake Park section of Manahawkin, which is part of Stafford Township. The streets of this section of town are typically so peaceful that some of its residents consider it "the perfect place to live." "This is upper-middle class, white-bread America at its finest here," said Colin Brearley, 17. "But I guess you never know what is going to happen. It's crazy."
"I was in the service, so I knew it wasn't firecrackers," said Thomas Niemiec, 61, who lives a few houses away from the Veitches. Police arrived to find both girls on the ground next to the car, which had its passenger-side window shattered. They were transported to Southern Ocean County Hospital in Manahawkin, where Jessica was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. and Melissa was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m. The victims' mother, Dorea Veitch, was at work at the time of the shootings and learned about the deaths as she was headed home at about 1 p.m., police said. Neighbors reported to police that Melissa might have been pregnant, but authorities said they would not confirm that until an autopsy is done today. Inside the home, officers found the gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said. He was lying across a couch in the living room with a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun still in his hand. Stafford Township police said the shooter was an ex-boyfriend of Dorea Veitch.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office later identified him as William Cordes, 52, of Tuckerton. Cordes' name was added to the deed of the home in 2002. Officials said they were still investigating what prompted the shootings and expected to have more concrete information today. "It's a shame that such a beautiful day had to be wasted on something as terrible as this," Stafford Township police Chief Tom Conroy said. "Our hearts go out to the family." Dorea Veitch's 27-year-old son, John, also lives in the house but was not home at the time of the shootings, Conroy said. An answering machine reached at the number listed for the Veitch residence had Cordes' voice on a message for his plumbing business. A woman answered that line Thursday night, but hung up after being asked about the shooting. Concerned neighbors stopped by the street throughout the day Thursday, but the gravest faces were those of the Southern Regional students who stopped by to see if the rumors they had heard were true. "I played basketball with Jessica two years ago," said Meghan Ramos, 14. "She was nice and always joked around a lot. I just can't believe this is happening." Caitlin McMenamin, 15, came to the crime scene clenching a yearbook so anyone interested could see Jessica's picture. "There are so many rumors that aren't true, I was hoping that this was one of them," McMenamin said. One of the pictures of Jessica, who also played in the concert band, was with the gymnastic team, which she was on for the first half of this season. "Jessica was definitely a very outgoing person, she wasn't someone who would just sit in the corner and try not to be noticed," Southern Regional gymnastics coach Mary Frack said. "The rest of the girls are terribly upset over this. It is a very hard day for all of us."
Frack said she expects the entire Southern Regional community will come together to remember Melissa and Jessica properly when school gets back to session Monday. "Tragedies have a way of bringing people together," she said. Kathy Young, who lives directly behind the Veitches with her husband, Arnold, said she remembered seeing the family spending many hours playing in their pool. "I would've never thought something like this could happen here," Young said. Young's feelings were common throughout the community. The home is located in the Deer Lake Park section of Manahawkin, which is part of Stafford Township. The streets of this section of town are typically so peaceful that some of its residents consider it "the perfect place to live." "This is upper-middle class, white-bread America at its finest here," said Colin Brearley, 17. "But I guess you never know what is going to happen. It's crazy."
Comments
Post a Comment