BRONXVILLE, NY – A tragic incident unfolded in a suburban neighborhood of New York City over the weekend, as a distinguished police sergeant from Bronxville Police Department was implicated in a murder-suicide, according to local authorities on Saturday.
The victims, identified as Watson Morgan, 49, his wife Ornella, 43, and their two sons aged 10 and 12, were discovered in their New City home late Friday evening. The discovery was made after Morgan failed to report for his duty, prompting a welfare check by the Clarkstown Police Department.
Upon arrival, authorities found the family with fatal gunshot wounds. A handgun was also discovered at the scene, further solidifying the grim circumstances of their deaths.
As the investigation progressed, authorities from the Clarkstown Police Department surmised that Morgan was responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, before ultimately taking his own life.
Morgan, a respected figure in the law enforcement community, had dedicated 16 years of service to the Bronxville Police Department, earning a promotion to sergeant in 2016. Prior to this, he had been a part of the New York Police Department since 2000.
Bronxville Police Chief Christopher Satriale expressed his condolences, stating, “Our hearts go out to Sergeant Morgan’s extended family,” and acknowledging the impact of this tragedy on the Bronxville Police Department. The senseless loss, he said, had left the department with “profoundly broken hearts.”
In the wake of the incident, the Clarkstown Central School District, where Morgan’s sons were students, reached out to parents, addressing the “tragic loss”. The school acknowledged the difficult times ahead as the community grapples to understand the loss of such young lives.