BOULDER, Colo.—A 61-year-old man who was fired as a police officer in the 1970s apparently shot and killed his wife and son before killing himself, investigators said Wednesday.
Police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley said investigators believe Philip F. Dileo (duh-LAY’-oh) killed 63-year-old Elizabeth Schwarzenbach-Dileo and 23-year-old Philip Christopher Dileo in their Boulder home.
Investigators earlier called it a “planned homicide-suicide.” Huntley said investigators found a note detailing Philip F. Dileo’s funeral preferences, but hesitated to call it a suicide note.
Police said Philip F. Dileo was a Boulder officer on two occasions, in 1972 and 1975. He was fired the first time for multiple policy violations but Huntley said she could not say why because it’s a personnel matter. She did say those policy violations were not allegations of domestic violence or use of excessive force
Huntley said he was reinstated in 1975 after a lawsuit, but she didn’t know why he left a month later.
The bodies were found Tuesday. Police believe the shootings were Monday.
Police said they found a Ruger .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun with a silencer near Schwarzenbach-Dileo’s body in the kitchen, and a .357 Magnum revolver with her husband’s body upstairs. Investigators were still tracing the owners of the guns.
Police said Schwarzenbach-Dileo contacted officers in 2005 about the legality of buying guns, saying her husband had threatened her.
Police said there were indications that Philip F. Dileo threatened their son as well.
Huntley said she did not know the details of the threats.
Autopsies were planned for Wednesday and Thursday but no results had been released.
