Bumbling In Blood

Ambridge is a steel town in western Pennsylvania, in Beaver County. It was first called Old Economy, which locals shortened to Economy, then took the name Ambridge from the American Bridge Company, which owned most of the town and made steel there; when the company closed in 1983 the town lost its main employer. In 1930 more than 20,000 people lived there; at the time of the story there were about 7,000. A local man wrote Rustbelt Boy about the decline. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it He grew up in Aliquippa and moved to Ambridge in the middle of his childhood. His mother drank heavily and his father, a guitar player, beat her. The couple divorced and his father walked out of a custody hearing, saying he wanted none of the children. His mother later married Arthur Hurley, a drifter who also drank and beat her. this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed He graduated in 1966 with a citizenship award and joined the Marine Corps, which threw him out after 18 months for going absent without leave in a stolen garbage truck; a military court gave him five years' probation and a discharge. He returned to Ambridge, married a woman named Linda and worked in manufacturing before moving to Virginia in 1971 and becoming a professional fireman. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now His wife divorced him while he was inside, remarried and let her new husband adopt their two daughters. details of the account remain covered until revealed His foreman was John Lucick, who had bought an older house at Dust Avenue from the Strano family. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it John and his wife Denice, 27, had two children, Danielle, eight, and John Jr, four. this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed He told co-workers he was going to kill John, and late in 1980, riding with David Catrell, he suggested going to John's house to rape his wife, adding that they would have to kill John if he turned up. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it Owers refused and told the rest of the crew. That afternoon Denice and John Jr visited her friend Paulette Batisti; they went home around 3.30 and Denice talked on the phone to Robin Mamay for about 45 minutes from 4 p.m. At about five Paulette sent her daughter to borrow two eggs and Denice waved to her from the back porch. Between 4.45 and 5.15 the next-door neighbour, Stella Ricci, heard shouting from the house. this part of the story is covered for now He was covered in blood, had no glasses, a cut on his nose and a towel round one hand. He said he had fallen off a ladder, then said he had gone to give an estimate and found the family dead, and asked them not to tell anyone. At 6.04 he walked into the police station, still bloody. Police arrived at 6.15 and found Denice and John Jr side by side in a small upstairs bedroom, and Danielle in the adjoining room, strangled and stabbed through the heart with a screwdriver, a blood-smeared pillow in her mouth. Denice had been strangled and had her throat cut; John Jr died of slash wounds to the throat. details of the account remain covered until revealed Blood from all three victims was on his shirt and trousers, and a bloody palm print on the pillow matched him. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now He put the pillow back and fell downstairs, breaking his glasses. details of the account remain covered until revealed His wife Deborah ran from the courtroom in tears. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now John Lucick moved away from Ambridge to live with relatives.