Crime & Safety

Wayne Murder Victim May Have Feared Husband, Police Say

Police say based on documents that have been found it appears the marriage "was in trouble" and that Linda "may have been fearful" of her husband.

As the Radnor Township community grapples with a shocking murder-suicide that took place in a Wayne home on Sunday, Radnor Patch has received comments ranging from concern for the victim's children to the shock of knowing that a firearm was within blocks of their own children and many at Radnor Middle School.

While Radnor Police have not yet revealed a motive in the killing, they have said that they believe that Timothy Rooney, 49, shot to death his 48-year-old wife, Linda, in the pool house of their home and then shot himself, Police Superintendent William Colarulo confirmed to Patch.

He said based on documents that police found it appears the marriage "was in trouble" and that Linda "may have been fearful" of her husband.

Colarulo also said that Timothy Rooney called a relative after he allegedly killed his wife and before he killed himself.

He said they have not found any registered owner of the .357 Magnum used in the shooting. That could mean that the firearm was recently purchased or that it was purchased in a way that skirted registration.

Linda Rooney was a member of the U.S. market leadership team for Merck Vaccines, and worked for the pharmaceutical company since 1997 in Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“We are deeply saddened to lose such a talented employee, colleague and friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with Linda’s children and family members at this time," read a statement from Merck.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Timothy Rooney was a stay-at-home dad for 17 years. A relative of his came into town on Monday to take over care of the couple's children, Colarulo said.

Two of the Rooney's children are students in the Radnor School District. On Monday the district released this statement: "The entire Radnor family is deeply saddened by last evening's tragedy impacting our students, parents and community members. Since we first learned of this terrible news, district staff and outside agencies have been working to coordinate resources to ensure support is available for all students, staff and community members affected." 

The district is offering resources for community members to help them cope with the tragedy.


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