Victims of murder-suicide in Nether Prov ID’d

NETHER PROVIDENCE» The shooting deaths Monday of a 40-year-old woman and her 64-year-old father have been ruled a homicide and a suicide, respectively, according to the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s office and police.

Nicole C. Katerynczuk died of multiple gunshot wounds and Walter Katerynczuk died of a single perforating gunshot wound of the chest, separate “Findings of the Medical Examiner” documents states.

The relatives resided together in Chester.

“There was a note found at the residence in Chester,” Nether Providence Police Chief David Splain said Thursday. “The relationship was father and daughter, and the findings of the medical examiner was corroborated by the note found at the residence.”

While the incident on the afternoon of Aug. 21 occurred in the parking lot of a business in the 900 block of South Providence Road in the Wallingford section of Nether Providence, authorities said the relatives had no association with the business.

According to the “Findings” document for the father, he “shot self in the chest” in the outdoor area of the scene on Aug. 21, about 1:15 p.m. The document for the daughter states that she was “shot by another.” She died at the scene, while her father was pronounced dead at Crozer-Chester Medical Center a short time later.

Delaware County Medical Examiner Dr. Fredric N. Hellman conducted a full autopsy on the daughter and an external examination on the father on Wednesday, according to the documents.

According to Splain, the rulings by the medical examiner has closed the investigation.

“The cause is listed as a murder-suicide and the case has been cleared. It was cleared by the death of the offender,” the chief said.