North Vancouver man killed in double murder-suicide in upstate New York
Police say 24-year-old
North Vancouver native Matt Hutchinson and Kelsey Annese, 21, from
Webster, N.Y., may have been asleep in bed when the two were stabbed to
death by a bitter ex-boyfriend in a double murder-suicide in upstate New
York Sunday.
As Jeffrey Szczesniak, a spokesman for the Geneseo police department, described that theory to reporters Monday, friends and family of Hutchinson mourned a man they called a ray of light and a role model.
In a message on Facebook, Hutchinson’s sister Katelynn Hutchinson said the family is grieving and that at this time they do not wish to say anything.
However, she said if people would like to help support the families and their efforts to bring Hutchinson home to Canada, a donation page has been set up at gofundme.com/4qkswy9z. As of Tuesday morning, more than $12,000 had been raised.
The tragic events began to unfold shortly after 5:30 a.m. Sunday in a home not far from State University of New York at Geneseo, Szczesniak said.
Hutchinson and Annese, both students at the small-town school south of Rochester, N.Y., were in the second floor bedroom of a home rented mostly to members of the women’s basketball team, he said.
At least five other people were in the home at that time, but only four of them were residents. Colin Kingston, a 24-year-old Geneseo man and former student, had somehow made his way inside, say police.
Kingston had been in a relationship with Annese for about three years, investigators learned.
“It is believed Kingston was distraught over the breakup,” Szczesniak said, adding he had recently made suicidal comments to several people.
Investigators could find no appearance of forced entry into the home, but a rear door was found unlocked when police arrived.
There is a flight of stairs in the house and several hallways, Szczesniak said.
“We can’t tell the exact route that he took from the time that he entered the residence to where the incident occurred,” he said, and nobody home at the time heard anything that made them suspicious.
Kingston appeared to have purchased a large knife at a local retailer and brought it with him to the home, Szczesniak said.
“We don’t know what he was thinking as he entered the place. We certainly don’t know what his intentions were when he entered that room,” he said.
Once inside, he found Hutchinson with Annese, he said. Police could find no indication that the two men had ever met or spoken to one another.
Kingston’s father Dan called 911 at 6:21 a.m.
The worried father told the dispatcher that Kingston said he had killed his girlfriend and was going to kill himself, according to U.S. media outlets.
When police arrived at the home they found all three dead in the bedroom. There was no evidence that there had been a struggle and the altercation happened very quickly, Szczesniak said.
Hutchinson and Annese died from stab wounds and Kingston later killed himself, Szczesniak said. Police believe he acted alone.
Friends and family took to social media to post their thoughts after Hutchinson’s death.
“A ray of light of light has been extinguished but never forgotten. The embers will always glow in our hearts,” wrote Nanette Scudamore about the loss of her nephew.
“His dreams were all coming true. This should not have happened,” wrote Leah Nicole.
Hutchinson played defence for SUNY Geneseo’s hockey team, the Knights, and he had an assist Saturday evening when the team defeated Franklin Pierce 6-2 in New Hampshire.
The young man was in his fourth year at the school and was studying geography and business. He was a firefighter on one of the B.C. Wildfire Branch’s 20-person unit crews last summer, said Kevin Skrepnek, a fire information officer.
“Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time,” Skrepnek said.
Hutchinson joined the Geneseo Fire Department in 2012.
Fire Chief Andrew Chanler told The Sun he and other members of the volunteer department were “in shock and disbelief with the loss of Matt.”
He said Hutchinson was a big part of the local hockey community and among the upper echelon of firefighters at the department.
“I was pretty close to him,” Chanler said. “He was truly a role model. He was a guy who you’d say, ‘Wow, he is really making a difference in the world.’
Chandler said he spoke to Hutchinson’s father Monday. “I think they’re as much in disbelief as we are. I can’t imagine as a parent losing a child who had so many accomplishments already and only had more to gain,” he said.
Before playing for the Geneseo Knights, Hutchinson played 130 games in the B.C. Hockey League, with the Surrey Eagles, Quesnel Millionaires, Coquitlam Express and Chilliwack Chiefs.
Harvey Smyl, a former Chiefs head coach and general manager, told The Sun he had coached Hutchinson about five years ago.
“He was an incredible kid,” Smyl said of the young defenceman.
“The kid was always smiling. He was always upbeat. He was just one of those teammates or players that you just love to have on your team. He just got along with everybody.”
mrobinson@postmedia.com
twitter.com/atmattrobinson
Click here to report a typo or visit vancouversun.com/typo.
Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. CLICK HERE or go to vancouversun.com/moretothestory
As Jeffrey Szczesniak, a spokesman for the Geneseo police department, described that theory to reporters Monday, friends and family of Hutchinson mourned a man they called a ray of light and a role model.
In a message on Facebook, Hutchinson’s sister Katelynn Hutchinson said the family is grieving and that at this time they do not wish to say anything.
However, she said if people would like to help support the families and their efforts to bring Hutchinson home to Canada, a donation page has been set up at gofundme.com/4qkswy9z. As of Tuesday morning, more than $12,000 had been raised.
The tragic events began to unfold shortly after 5:30 a.m. Sunday in a home not far from State University of New York at Geneseo, Szczesniak said.
Hutchinson and Annese, both students at the small-town school south of Rochester, N.Y., were in the second floor bedroom of a home rented mostly to members of the women’s basketball team, he said.
At least five other people were in the home at that time, but only four of them were residents. Colin Kingston, a 24-year-old Geneseo man and former student, had somehow made his way inside, say police.
Kingston had been in a relationship with Annese for about three years, investigators learned.
“It is believed Kingston was distraught over the breakup,” Szczesniak said, adding he had recently made suicidal comments to several people.
Investigators could find no appearance of forced entry into the home, but a rear door was found unlocked when police arrived.
There is a flight of stairs in the house and several hallways, Szczesniak said.
“We can’t tell the exact route that he took from the time that he entered the residence to where the incident occurred,” he said, and nobody home at the time heard anything that made them suspicious.
Kingston appeared to have purchased a large knife at a local retailer and brought it with him to the home, Szczesniak said.
“We don’t know what he was thinking as he entered the place. We certainly don’t know what his intentions were when he entered that room,” he said.
Once inside, he found Hutchinson with Annese, he said. Police could find no indication that the two men had ever met or spoken to one another.
Kingston’s father Dan called 911 at 6:21 a.m.
The worried father told the dispatcher that Kingston said he had killed his girlfriend and was going to kill himself, according to U.S. media outlets.
When police arrived at the home they found all three dead in the bedroom. There was no evidence that there had been a struggle and the altercation happened very quickly, Szczesniak said.
Hutchinson and Annese died from stab wounds and Kingston later killed himself, Szczesniak said. Police believe he acted alone.
Friends and family took to social media to post their thoughts after Hutchinson’s death.
“A ray of light of light has been extinguished but never forgotten. The embers will always glow in our hearts,” wrote Nanette Scudamore about the loss of her nephew.
“His dreams were all coming true. This should not have happened,” wrote Leah Nicole.
Hutchinson played defence for SUNY Geneseo’s hockey team, the Knights, and he had an assist Saturday evening when the team defeated Franklin Pierce 6-2 in New Hampshire.
The young man was in his fourth year at the school and was studying geography and business. He was a firefighter on one of the B.C. Wildfire Branch’s 20-person unit crews last summer, said Kevin Skrepnek, a fire information officer.
“Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time,” Skrepnek said.
Hutchinson joined the Geneseo Fire Department in 2012.
Fire Chief Andrew Chanler told The Sun he and other members of the volunteer department were “in shock and disbelief with the loss of Matt.”
He said Hutchinson was a big part of the local hockey community and among the upper echelon of firefighters at the department.
“I was pretty close to him,” Chanler said. “He was truly a role model. He was a guy who you’d say, ‘Wow, he is really making a difference in the world.’
Chandler said he spoke to Hutchinson’s father Monday. “I think they’re as much in disbelief as we are. I can’t imagine as a parent losing a child who had so many accomplishments already and only had more to gain,” he said.
Before playing for the Geneseo Knights, Hutchinson played 130 games in the B.C. Hockey League, with the Surrey Eagles, Quesnel Millionaires, Coquitlam Express and Chilliwack Chiefs.
Harvey Smyl, a former Chiefs head coach and general manager, told The Sun he had coached Hutchinson about five years ago.
“He was an incredible kid,” Smyl said of the young defenceman.
“The kid was always smiling. He was always upbeat. He was just one of those teammates or players that you just love to have on your team. He just got along with everybody.”
mrobinson@postmedia.com
twitter.com/atmattrobinson
Click here to report a typo or visit vancouversun.com/typo.
Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. CLICK HERE or go to vancouversun.com/moretothestory
No comments:
Post a Comment