Baldwin man beats girlfriend to death, kills himself

Friday, January 01, 2010
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Baldwin man beat his girlfriend to death with a baseball bat shortly after midnight in the basement family room of his mother's Beechview home before cutting himself with a kitchen knife and fleeing to his own home where he cut himself again and died, police reported.

Pittsburgh homicide detectives said they had not determined a reason for the murder-suicide.

They said William Murray, 38, repeatedly struck Lillainya Rachko, 29, of Beechview in the head with an aluminum baseball bat, killing her instantly. Mr. Murray and Ms. Rachko had been drinking, police said.

Police were called to 1423 Orangewood Ave. by Mr. Murray's mother at 12:31 a.m.

Mr. Murray had fled to his home at 1164 Camarta Drive in Baldwin where police attempts to communicate with him were unsuccessful. SWAT officers forced their way into the residence and found Mr. Murray slumped over and deceased in his car which was parked in the garage.

Mr. Murray, who apparently had cut himself again at his home, was pronounced dead at 6:10 a.m.

From: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10001/1025204-100.stm