Post by Joanna on May 13, 2015 20:29:31 GMT -5
Elderly Maryland Couple found Murdered in Their Home
ROCKVILLE, Md. – Authorities aren't sure what motivated someone to kill a Maryland hotel developer and his wife. Dick Vilardo, 65, and wife Jody, 67, were supposed to meet with relatives for Mother’s Day, but they never appeared. Their adult children dropped by the couple’s home and found their parents’ bodies. Mr. and Mrs. Vilardo were members of a nearby country club, and Dick Vilardo, a former Marriott executive, was the co-founder of a hotel management company.
Authorities haven’t revealed how the husband and wife died. Dick Vilardo’s body was found in the backyard, while his wife’s corpse was located inside the home. Both suffered upper body trauma and they were both still wearing their pajamas, officials said.
Investigators say they are focusing on the night of Saturday, May 9. According to neighbors, the pair went to the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and returned home around midnight. Police believe the killer entered through a window but, at this point, authorities have not released any possible motive for the slayings and still do not know whether the couple was targeted, or if anything was taken from the home.
Neighbor Tam Faulkner said the killings shocked the community. “It’s not very comforting to tell you, ‘Oh, you know, we don’t think you need to worry.’ Well, anyone that’s living here and your neighbors have been killed, you’re worried,” Faulkner said.
The victims’ family released a statement: “We are heartbroken over this senseless tragedy,” the statement reads. “Dick and Jody Vilardo were a warm and loving couple. We know of no one who would wish them harm.”
Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks, a department spokesman, said authorities are pursuing every possible lead. “We’re not terming this investigation as random,” he said. “It’s too early and investigators are looking at so many different possibilities right now so they don’t overlook any bit of evidence.”
Source: ABC News, May 12, 2015.
