Long Island grandmother’s will reveals possible motive behind Syosset murder-suicide that left five family members dead

A NEW clue in the case of a Long Island murder-suicide last month may paint a clearer picture of what happened – and why.

In August, Joseph DeLucia Jr. , 59, used a loaded 12-gauge shotgun to murder his three siblings, his niece , and then himself after his mother’s recent death.

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In a fit of rage, DeLucia Jr. murdered his sisters, Joanne Kearns, 69, and Tina Hammond, 64, along with his brother, Frank DeLucia, 63, in the home’s den before also killing his niece, Victoria Hammond, 30.

DeLucia Jr. had lived in the home in Syosset, New York – located on Long Island, about 30 minutes from New York City – for his entire life with his mother, Theresa DeLucia.

Originally, Nassau County police believed that DeLucia Jr. may have been cut out of his mother’s will, triggering the rampage that saw him murder his entire family before dying by suicide.

But it turns out that his mother stipulated in her will, signed in 2007, that all four of her children would split her estate equally upon her passing.

The will, which became public in court this week, named Frank DeLucia, one of the now-deceased brothers, as the executor.

The executor of a will is the person designated to carry out the wishes and instructions outlined in the will, including distributing assets, settling debts, and handling the sale of property if necessary.

DeLucia Jr. was set to get a quarter of their mother’s assets — an even split among the siblings.

However, it also stipulated that the siblings must sell the mother’s home and split those profits the same – the home that DeLucia Jr. has lived in his entire life and did not want to leave.

“I direct any member of my family who may be living in such home at the time of my death to vacate same to facilitate such sale and empower my Executor to take any and all steps reasonably required to effectuate this provision of my Will,” the signed document states.

Police now believe that the family’s plans to sell the home where he resided threw DeLucia Jr. into a frenzy.

Theresa DeLucia's Will Stipulations

In her will DeLucia stipulated that:

• The four DeLucia children were instructed to split their mother’s estate equally.
• They were also directed to quickly sell the Syosset home where Joseph DeLucia had lived his entire life and split the proceeds from the sale.
• The will states that any family member living in the home at the time of Theresa DeLucia’s death must vacate to facilitate the sale, including DeLucia Jr., who had lived in the home his entire life.

THE MURDERS

On August 25, his rage took over as DeLucia Jr. picked up a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun and brutally murdered all of his siblings.

After killing his three siblings and niece, DeLucia Jr. then went outside and was heard wailing by neighbors before pulling the trigger in the yard.

He fired a total of 12 shots.

Police were called to the Syosset residence around 12 pm on August 25.

Police said DeLucia Jr., a former EMT and mechanic , suffered from mental health issues throughout his life.

“The perception of Joseph Jr. was that he was being cut out of the will and was going to be displaced without a place to go,” Nassau County Police Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick told The New York Post .

Fitzpatrick also said the shotgun was legally registered.

The scene was one of the most “horrific” ever seen by Nassau County Police, according to County Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

Ryder said neighbors of DeLucia Jr. shared accounts with police after the murder-suicide indicating the man’s pre-rampage panic.

“He kept saying, ‘I’m going to be homeless — my siblings are not going to help me. They’re just going to sell the house,’” neighbor Randi Marquis told The New York Times .

DeLucia Jr. also reportedly warned them of the shooting.

The commissioner said DeLucia Jr. had told neighbors, “If you hear gunshots, don’t bother calling 911 it’ll be too late.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.