A mother and son were found shot to death just steps apart inside their Lawncrest home Sunday afternoon.
Police say the victims, Donna Muller, 49, and her son Richard Muller, 22, were shot execution-style on the second floor of their home at 363 Stevens Street, according to Philadelphia Police Lieutenant John Walker.
Donna Muller's body was found in an upstairs hallway and her son's in an upstairs bedroom. A spent shell cashing from a semi-automatic weapon was found at the scene.
"I don't know what to say. It's a shame. They are nice people. They don't deserve it," said neighbor John Downey, who lives two doors down from the Muller family home. One neighbor said they heard commotion the night before the murder.
Family friend Brian Zukowski described Donna Muller as "very welcoming" and as someone who had a big heart for those in need.
"It's definitely a violent crime scene just do to the fact that you have two dead bodies and both of them appear to have been shot in the head," said chief inspector Scott Small.
The victims were pronounced dead at the scene by a medic at 3:31 p.m. Police believe the victims were killed between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and are asking everyone, especially neighbors, to report any suspicious activity in the neighborhood during that time. They also say they have no reason to think neighbors should be concerned for their own safety. The motive is unknown in this case.
Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
