Husband, wife found murdered in North Royalton home, ex son-in-law also found dead
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio (WOIO) - A husband and wife were found fatally shot inside their North Royalton home Tuesday evening, and police said their former son-in-law was found dead of a self-inflected gunshot in the same house.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner identified the couple as Emilia Ciortan, 71, and her husband, Sorin Ciortan, 71. Their former son-in-law was identified as 71-year-old Stefan Pascu.
Daughter calls police
North Royalton police said the couple’s daughter called just before 8 p.m. Tuesday after she saw her ex-husband’s car in her parents’ driveway in the 8900 block of Tiffany Drive. She told police he was not welcome there, and she could not reach her parents.
When officers arrived, they were unable to contact the homeowners and went inside. Police said they found Emilia dead in the dining room and Sorin dead in an upstairs hallway. Both had apparent gunshot wounds to the head.
SWAT called to the home
Officers backed out because Pascu’s car was still outside and he had not yet been found. The Southwest Enforcement Bureau tactical unit was called in and found Pascu dead in a lower-level room. Police said he had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and a gun was nearby.
Daughter’s warning to police
The couple’s daughter told dispatchers it was her birthday. She said she and Pascu had been divorced for 10 years, and that he had recently returned to the U.S. from Romania.
In police body-camera video released to 19 News, the woman tells an officer that her ex-husband is “unstable” and advises police they would “need more officers.”
North Royalton police said Pascu lived in Parma and that there were no protection orders in place.
North Royalton police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating.
This is a developing story. Check with 19 News for more about this story.
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