Update (2/27): Glen Hochman, the former White Plains police officer who shot and killed two of his three daughters before killing himself, intentionally left his family out of his retirement papers—effectively cutting them out of any pension benefits—three weeks before his death, the New York Post has reported.
Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini also said Hochman’s suicide note was several pages long, and appeared to have been started before and completed after the murders. In the note, which has not been released in its entirety, Hochman said his daughters had been “taken away.” The note also included negative remarks toward his wife, according to official.
Update (2/23): The Harrison Police Department said in a press release Monday they had recovered a suicide note and a .40-caliber Glock handgun believed to have been used in Saturday’s double-murder and suicide. Preliminary autopsy results revealed that the two victims were killed in their sleep; there were no signs of a struggle.
On Saturday, police officers found the bodies of Glen Hochman, a retired White Plains police officer, and two of his daughters, Alissa and Deanna, in their Harrison residence. According to the statement released Monday, Hochman’s wife, Anamarie, and eldest daughter, Samantha, were staying at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut at the time of the killings. When the wife was unable to contact her husband and daughters, she asked Alissa’s boyfriend to check in on the house. He discovered the bodies and called 911.
According to the press release, Anamarie Hochman told police on Friday she and Glen had verbally argued over an $80 cellphone bill.
“Mrs. Hochman did not report any threats of physical violence and did not want the matter pursued. Additionally, Mrs. Hochman reported that she only wanted to document the incident. According to Mrs. Hochman there were no prior domestic incident reports or history of physical violence,” the press release read. “During the course of the murder-suicide investigation and interviews with people who knew Mr. Hochman personally and professionally, there was no prior indication that Mr. Hochman would have committed this heinous act. The investigation also revealed that in mid-January, 2015, Mrs. Hochman and Mr. Hochman discussed the possibility of separating due to marital issues.”
The police also said they had recovered a suicide note and a Glock handgun from the scene. They said the Glock was found in Glen Hochman’s hand. The Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Officer said preliminary findings indicate the Hochman girls were shot in their sleep, and that no struggle had occurred during the incident.
Juliana Perciavalle and Ryan Pihota contributed to the reporting for this article
What should have been a normal weekend for the residents of Harrison was marred by an apparent double-murder and suicide on Saturday committed by a recently retired White Plains police officer.
Local law enforcement officials identified the deceased as Glen Hochman, 52, a decorated 22-year police veteran—and now suspected murderer—and two of his three daughters, Alissa, 17, and Deanna, 13. Three dogs were also found dead at the crime scene. Police found the bodies after neighbors called 911 to report a disturbance at Hochman’s Harrison residence.
Glen’s wife, Anamarie DiPietro-Hochman, 50, and their third daughter, Samantha, 22, were not in town at the time of the killings.
Louis N. Wool, Harrison’s superintendent of schools, voiced the sadness and confusion felt by the community in a letter addressed to the town’s residents. But Wool also recognized the locals’ strength and courage in the face adversity.
“Our high school community has faced life-shattering tragedies this year, each time they have risen and demonstrated a depth of character and an ethic of care that is inspiring,” Wool wrote. “This is a remarkable, generous, and giving group of adults and young adults. In this awful moment, let us remember how proud we are of our faculty and students, and how much they have helped others, and how much they will help others again.”
“The department is shocked and horrified by the news of this unfathomable tragedy,” White Plains Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong also said in a statement. “We can only pray for the family. Officer Hochman served this department and the city of White Plains with honor and integrity for over 22 years.”
Glen Hochman’s record was one of note, and not only for the length of his service. Before joining the police department, Hochman had been an EMT in Harrison. In 2014, after more than two decades of police service, he and a fellow officer were awarded the White Plains Department Of Public Safety Lifesaving Award for treating an unresponsive person until paramedics arrived.
But an ankle injury later in the year—sustained while helping a disabled motorist, according to The Journal News—prompted his retirement. The Journal News also spoke with Hochman’s union lawyer, who said Hochman hadn’t displayed any signs of depression regarding his retirement.
The Harrison Police Department is handling the ongoing investigation into the deaths. Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini told The Journal News on Sunday they were gathering and evaluating evidence.
