An 86-year-old Lower Moreland woman was found murdered in her home Sunday afternoon, says the Montgomery County district attorney.
A handyman called police at about 1 p.m. after arriving at Mary D. Pellegrino’s home on Pine Road in Huntington Valley and finding her dead.
It was evident in the initial investigation that Pellegrino did not die of natural causes, says the district attorney’s office. An autopsy on Monday proved that the 86-year-old was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.
Police are seeking any information from people who knew Pellegrino. They hope to learn in anyone worked for the victim recently or saw anything suspicious from Dec. 30 through Jan. 3.
"What we're looking for is what were her regular routines, so if there is someone out there who knows her from the local community or from a church or religious institution...anyone who could shed some light on what may have happened to her," Montgomery County D.A. Risa Vetri-Ferman said Tuesday.
Valuables were missing from the woman's home, which was undergoing major renovations over the past few months, officials said. But authorities aren't sure if the killer was someone who knew Pellegrino or if it was just a random crime.
To offer information call Lower Moreland Police at (215) 947-3132 or the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368.
