100-Year-Old Man, Wife Die In Murder-Suicide: New Jersey Man Kills Wife With Ax

Residents in a New Jersey community were shocked at the news of a couple’s murder-suicide. Prosecutors say a 100-year-old man killed his 88-year-old wife with an ax, as she slept in bed over the weekend. He then stabbed himself to death in another room of their Elmwood Park home. Although the couple allegedly has a history of domestic incidents, a motive is unclear at this time, according to an ABC News report.

Michael Juskin, 100-years-old, is thought to be behind the grisly deaths, according to Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli in a statement on the New Jersey killings. A relative discovered the bodies of the Juskins on Monday but police believe their times of death occurred one day earlier.

“The caller went to the residence to check on the two after family members were unable to contact them and became concerned.”

The woman was found dead in a bed; she had been hacked to death. Her husband’s corpse was found in a bathroom of the home. An autopsy of the man’s body showed that he died from self-inflicted knife wounds on his wrists.

Neighbors who learned the 100-year-old man killed his wife before taking his own life say the Juskins were normally seen walking together in the area with their dog. However, they pointed out that the couple was recluse and kept to themselves for the most part.

By one neighbor’s account, the Juskins are not strangers to law enforcement. Dorota Biskup, 42, said police visited the couple’s home several times “in recent years,” according to a report from NorthJersey. On the contrary, Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno told ABC that his officers visited the home once in 2013, and it was simply a case of “domestic harassment.” Then, no restraining orders, citations or arrests were made.

A relative on the scene of the murder and suicide who spoke with reporters, but asked to remain anonymous, said 100-year-old Michael Juskin suffered from dementia.

As defined by MedicineNet, the condition is “a term that describes a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions and is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as memory, language, perception, judgment or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develop personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.”

Karen Bionda, 67, recalls seeing Michael walking his dog throughout the quiet residential area.

“I didn’t think stuff like this happened in nice neighborhoods, huh? This is just too close to home.”

Still, another neighbor, Carole Lynch, remembers that the man was short on words and didn’t hold conversations much. However, she recalls a time in Gulfport, Florida, where Michael and Rosalia lived on a part time basis in a condominium. Lynch said when she passed by their apartment, she recalls hearing the Michael screaming through the doors. The Juskins sold the unit a year ago.

The 100-year-old man may be one of the oldest persons to be charged with capital murder, according to several sources. However, Inquisitr has not confirmed the accuracy.

[Photo by: NJ.com via lehighvalleylive]