Anthony Anastasi Found Dead; Woman Dead in Basement
LOTHIAN, MD. — Two people were found dead in a house, one from gunshots and one from a brutal beating.
Anne Arundel County Police report that on Monday, October 5, 2015 at approximately 12:56 p.m., the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Southern District responded to the 600 block of West Bay Front Road, Lothian, Maryland for an unconscious male lying near a weapon.
Upon arrival officers located an adult male subject suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body in the master bedroom. Fire department personnel responded to the scene and later pronounced the male as being deceased. The male was positively identified as Anthony Joseph Anastasi Jr., a forty year old male from the 600 block of West Bay Front Road, Lothian, Maryland.
“We’re still trying to determine relationship between them and other people in the house. There are a lot of questions, not many answers. Detectives have been working to answer all those questions,” Anne Arundel County police Cpl. Jacklyn Davis said.
As officers conducted their investigation a second injured adult female was located in the basement area of the residence. The adult female suffered apparent trauma to the upper body and was pronounced deceased by medical professionals. The adult female was positively identified as Jacqueline Irene Riggs, 25, who lived in the basement.
Homicide detectives along with the Evidence Collection Unit responded to the scene searching the area for any items of possible evidentiary value in regards to the death of these two individuals. Several witnesses were located and brought to the Criminal Investigation Division where interviews were conducted. Preliminary information indicates this was not a random act of violence but a targeted incident.
The bodies of Mr. Anastasi and the adult female will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner located in Baltimore Maryland for autopsies to assist in determining the exact cause and manner of death.
As this is a very fluid and active investigation the Anne Arundel County Police are urging anyone with information to come forward by calling Homicide Detective Jason McNemar 410-222-4756. If people with information wish to remain anonymous they can also contact the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.
WBAL-TV 11 News reported that they uncovered documents that appear to show Anastasi was a former professional boxer. Police could not say whether that had anything to do with the deaths.
From WBAL:
Jimmy Paddy, owner of the nearby Country Aire Farm, said the deaths come as a complete shock.
“That’s the talk of the town down here, because, down here in Lothian, nothing like this happens,” Paddy said.
Paddy said the people who lived in the home seemed nice and moved there about a year ago after purchasing the home on foreclosure. Paddy and his few neighbors are hoping police solve the case soon.
“We’re totally surprised. It’s a shock to everybody, because everybody is locking their doors, because we don’t know what’s going on, because no one’s told anybody,” Paddy said.
LOTHIAN, MD. --- Two people were found dead in a house, one from gunshots and one from a brutal beating.
