Wilkie Son Dies From Gun Shot

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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Wilkie Son Dies From Gun Shot Youth, 17, Found Suicide in Home By Officer The 17-year-old son of Camden Police Sgt. John V. Wilkie was found shot to death in his home early Sunday, with his father's service revolver lying on the living room floor beneath his body. James S. Wilkie, of 1144 Prin-

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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cess ave., was found by his father shortly after 2 a. m. Coroner John A. Healey, after an autopsy Sunday afternoon, also said he was "satisfied the death was suicide." He issued a death certificate with that finding. Younger Children Questioned Benjamin Asbell, first assistant prosecutor, with County Detective Chief James J. Mulligan, City Detective Capt. Thomas P. Murphy and Detective George Ellis, questioned Wilkie, two other Wilkie children, their friends and neighbors for more than three hours in detective headquarters Sunday night. Capt. Murphy reconstructed the death as follows: W. Richard Wilkie, 16, and his sister Teresa, 14, with Paul Ragone, 15, of Bridgeboro rd., Moorestown, a friend of Richard, were decorating the living room of the Wilkie home for Christmas when James came home about 1.30

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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a. m. and evidently had been drinking. A quarrel followed in which Richard chided James about "coming home drunk," and James wanted to fight his brother, but Richard and the Ragone boy went outside the house. At that point, James went to his father's second-floor front bedroom and took Wilkie's .38-caliber police revolver from a chest of drawers and returned to the living room. 'I'll Kill Myself' James ordered his sister to tell Richard to return to the house, and Richard instead directed Teresa to "come outside," Asbell said. When the girl left the home, James went to the front door, waved the gun and shouted, according to Asbell: "If you don't come in I'll kill myself." The children said James then turned and went back into the house. They stated he slammed (Continued on Page 2—Column 5)

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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(Continued From Page One) the front door so hard the blind fell off. Seconds later, Richard heard what he called a shot. Richard, Teresa and Ragone called for James at the front and rear doors but got no response. After trying unsuccessfully to reach Sgt. Wilkie, the three were taken by a friend of Ragone's to the home of Mrs. Tessie Bogacki, mother of the Wilkie children, in Woodlynne. Mrs. Bogacki remarried after she and Sgt. Wilkie were divorced several months ago. Father Finds Body Wilkie told the investigators he had been to a restaurant and discovered the body when he returned shortly after 2 a. m., but thought his son had cut his head in a fall. The weapon beneath the body was not found until after police, summoned by Wilkie from a police box at Haddon and Kaighns aves., arrived and moved the body.

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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The spent bullet was found near the body in a pool of blood by Detectives Edward Shapiro and John Moffa. Another bullet taken from the gun, police said, showed evidence it had misfired. Police said a preliminary investigation by doctors at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, where James was pronounced dead on arrival at 3 a. m., indicated the bullet had entered the left side of the head and left the right temple, but no powder burns could be found on the left side. Autopsy Performed The body was transferred to Cooper Hospital where an autopsy was performed by Dr. William T. Read. Healey said the autopsy showed conclusively the bullet had been fired into the right temple and left through the left temple. Powder burns were found on the right side, Healey stated. Capt. Murphy said tests were made of the boy's right hand and the gun and forwarded to the

Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1953

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State Police laboratory at Trenton. A separate investigation is being made, Murphy said, to determine where the youth had been drinking. Wilkie, famed for years as Camden's notebook cop, has been away from duty for several months because of illness. Wilkie told investigators his son suffered a head injury in early youth and had complained of headaches. Wilkie said he felt the death might be accidental and expressed the possibility his son may have staggered and fallen with the loaded revolver. Wilkie said James also had been despondent since the death of another son, John, killed last June in a plane crash in Japan. James was employed as an apprentice by a Philadelphia belt manufacturing firm. Coroner Healey said the youth's employers had elevated James in their apprentice program only last week. Young Wilkie celebrated the promotion by buying a new suit and topcoat, the coroner added.

Youth, 17, Found Suicide in Home By Officer

The 17-year-old son of Camden Police Sgt. John V. Wilkie was found shot to death in his home early Sunday, with his father's service revolver lying on the living room floor beneath his body.

James S. Wilkie, of 1144 Princess ave., was found by his father shortly after 2 a. m.

Coroner John A. Healey, after an autopsy Sunday afternoon, also said he was "satisfied the death was suicide." He issued a death certificate with that finding.

Younger Children Questioned

Benjamin Asbell, first assistant prosecutor, with County Detective Chief James J. Mulligan, City Detective Capt. Thomas P. Murphy and Detective George Ellis, questioned Wilkie, two other Wilkie children, their friends and neighbors for more than three hours in detective headquarters Sunday night.

Capt. Murphy reconstructed the death as follows:

W. Richard Wilkie, 16, and his sister Teresa, 14, with Paul Ragone, 15, of Bridgeboro rd., Moorestown, a friend of Richard, were decorating the living room of the Wilkie home for Christmas when James came home about 1.30 a. m. and evidently had been drinking.

A quarrel followed in which Richard chided James about "coming home drunk," and James wanted to fight his brother, but Richard and the Ragone boy went outside the house. At that point, James went to his father's second-floor front bedroom and took Wilkie's .38-caliber police revolver from a chest of drawers and returned to the living room.

'I'll Kill Myself'

James ordered his sister to tell Richard to return to the house, and Richard instead directed Teresa to "come outside," Asbell said. When the girl left the home, James went to the front door, waved the gun and shouted, according to Asbell:

"If you don't come in I'll kill myself."

The children said James then turned and went back into the house. They stated he slammed the front door so hard the blind fell off.

Seconds later, Richard heard what he called a shot. Richard, Teresa and Ragone called for James at the front and rear doors but got no response.

After trying unsuccessfully to reach Sgt. Wilkie, the three were taken by a friend of Ragone's to the home of Mrs. Tessie Bogacki, mother of the Wilkie children, in Woodlynne. Mrs. Bogacki remarried after she and Sgt. Wilkie were divorced several months ago.

Father Finds Body

Wilkie told the investigators he had been to a restaurant and discovered the body when he returned shortly after 2 a. m., but thought his son had cut his head in a fall. The weapon beneath the body was not found until after police, summoned by Wilkie from a police box at Haddon and Kaighns aves., arrived and moved the body.

The spent bullet was found near the body in a pool of blood by Detectives Edward Shapiro and John Moffa. Another bullet taken from the gun, police said, showed evidence it had misfired.

Police said a preliminary investigation by doctors at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, where James was pronounced dead on arrival at 3 a. m., indicated the bullet had entered the left side of the head and left the right temple, but no powder burns could be found on the left side.

Autopsy Performed

The body was transferred to Cooper Hospital where an autopsy was performed by Dr. William T. Read. Healey said the autopsy showed conclusively the bullet had been fired into the right temple and left through the left temple. Powder burns were found on the right side, Healey stated.

Capt. Murphy said tests were made of the boy's right hand and the gun and forwarded to the State Police laboratory at Trenton.

A separate investigation is being made, Murphy said, to determine where the youth had been drinking.

Wilkie, famed for years as Camden's notebook cop, has been away from duty for several months because of illness. Wilkie told investigators his son suffered a head injury in early youth and had complained of headaches. Wilkie said he felt the death might be accidental and expressed the possibility his son may have staggered and fallen with the loaded revolver. Wilkie said James also had been despondent since the death of another son, John, killed last June in a plane crash in Japan. James was employed as an apprentice by a Philadelphia belt manufacturing firm.

Coroner Healey said the youth's employers had elevated James in their apprentice program only last week. Young Wilkie celebrated the promotion by buying a new suit and topcoat, the coroner added.