Murder-Suicide in Putnam
A Carmel Highway department employee gunned down a colleague last night and then turned the gun on himself, police report. The man who was fatally shot in the head was having dinner last night with the gunman’s estranged wife.
Carmel police identified the shooter as Michael Boccardi, 47, and the victim as 56-year-old Michael Purdy; both were Mahopac residents.
Police report the murder-suicide as having taken place Wednesday night at approximately 10 p.m. The wife–who was not hurt–was dropping Purdy off at his home, the preliminary police investigation has revealed.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that Mr. Boccardi had apparently been waiting in nearby foliage for Mr. Purdy to return home,” according to a press release from Carmel police. “Upon his arrival home, Mr. Boccardi fired several shots at Mr. Purdy as he was walking towards his residence, one of which struck Mr. Purdy in the head.”
“Mr. Boccardi then jumped into the car with his estranged wife and ordered her to drive away,” the release from police Chief Michael Johnson also states. “Ms. Boccardi who was emotionally distraught over her estranged husband’s actions attempted to speak to him, whereupon he turned the pistol on himself and shot himself in the head.”
The coroner, Dr. Michael Nesheiwat, responded to the scene and pronounced both Boccardi and Purdy dead. The investigation is being led by Carmel Police Detective Sergeant John Harney.
Westchester County was also rocked by a murder-suicide last month. A Cross River resident murdered his wife and two kids before committing suicide.
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Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.