Trending
The body of an elderly city man was found shot to death early Sunday morning on Fairview Drive in Montoursville, according to state police.
“It has been ruled a homicide. That is all I can give out at this time because we don’t want to jeopardize this active investigation,” Sgt. Michael Triponey, a crime section supervisor, said.
The victim was identified as Edward Joseph White Sr., 77, of 677 Cemetery St., police said.
“At this time, there does not appear to be any danger to the public in relation to this investigation,” Trooper Tyson Havens, the lead investigator, said. He did not elaborate.
Several hours later, a 28-year-old Williamsport area woman being pursued by city police shot herself to death in her car as she was traveling east in the 1800 block of East Third Street, state police said.
The woman’s car careened out of control and struck the front of a building at Schneider’s Valley Farms Dairy, 1860 E. Third St., about 10:45 a.m.
“We don’t know at this point if there is a relationship between these two deaths. That is part of our investigation,” Triponey said.
The woman’s identity had not yet been released as of late Sunday night.
Montoursville police initially were called to the area of Fairview Drive near Cedar Street to investigate “a report of person along the roadway” about 12:45 a.m., Triponey said.
“It was initially believed that what they were responding to was a pedestrian struck by a hit-run driver. Emergency personnel determined that the victim had been shot,” Triponey said.
White suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body, Triponey confirmed, but he would not offer any more specifics. State police took over the investigation since it was a shooting.
Investigators worked throughout the morning on Fairview Drive, gathering evidence.
“We’re still trying to determine where the man was shot,” Triponey said, referring to the location of the shooting. It appeared that the man’s body was “dumped” on Fairview Drive, Havens said.
Concerning the suicide case, city police began to follow the woman after they spotted her in a car on Market Street about 10:30 a.m., Capt. Michael Orwig said.
An officer, who recognized her and knew there was a warrant for her arrest, activated his cruiser’s emergency lights and sire, Orwig said.
The woman was on state parole and “was wanted for absconding” from her parole officer, state Trooper Paul McGee said. Police could not say why she was on parole.
Orwig said additional officers joined in the pursuit, which continued for nearly 15 minutes on numerous streets, “but the woman just would not pull over.”
He said “this was not a high-speed pursuit.” He said the woman was believed to be traveling only 35-40 mph. The pursuit made its way to Washington Boulevard and to heavily-traveled East Third Street in Loyalsock Township.
“While driving, the suspect used a handgun and committed suicide,” McGee said. The car then went off the road, across the sidewalk and into a building owned by the dairy.
A small section of East Third Street was closed for more than two hours as investigators processed the crash scene. Traffic still could easily get in and out of the Giant Plaza.
More than a half a dozen state police criminal investigators were at the scene as was Capt. David Young, the commander of Troop F headquartered in Montoursville.
The crash drew the attention of scores of onlookers. A sheet and a large tarp were used to shield the woman’s body from spectators.
Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
Triponey said investigators might have more information to release today about their investigation into the two deaths.
A district judge confirmed Sunday night that he approved a search warrant for the state police that was related to the death investigations, but he declined to release any specifics.