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Murder-suicide of mother, son, hard to believe, neighbors say

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By LISA A. DAVIS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 20, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - From the outside, with its manicured lawn dotted with colorful flowers and shrubbery, the tan and peach-colored home at 4455 Grandwood Lane appears peaceful.

And neighbors in Wood Trail Village, just west of Little Road, say they think the inside of the home was peaceful, too. It's where a 62-year-old son took care of his mother 87-year-old mother and dog, Chico, a Chihuahua mix.

But on Saturday night after neighbors reported to Pasco deputies that they hadn't seen the mother and son for several days – something that was unusual – Richard Thomas Owen and his mother, Joan, were found dead inside. So was Chico.

Detectives are calling it a murder-suicide. They say Richard Owen killed his mother and stabbed his dog before fatally shooting himself.

An autopsy performed at the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office couldn't determine a cause of death for Joan Owen, said sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll, so they are awaiting toxicology reports which could take weeks.

"She had no signs of trauma," Doll said Monday.

Authorities won't say why they believe it was murder-suicide, other than because of "the totality of the evidence" found inside the home, according to Doll.

Their time of deaths have not been determined, Doll said, but the last time anyone recalled seeing them was July 15 – three days before they were found.

The idea that Richard could kill his mother seemed unfathomable to neighbors.

"It was a shock to say the least," said next-door neighbor Dee Deal, 48. "It really was unexpected."

Said Frank Joy, 79, who lives just down the street: "He's not the type of person who would run around murdering anybody. It's a shame."

For 24 years Deal called "Joanie" and Richard neighbors, often exchanging waves, friendly chit-chat and even looking out for each other's homes.

"You couldn't ask for better neighbors," she said, tears slipping down her face.

In all those years, she said, she doesn't recall ever hearing any arguments coming from the home, though she said, one never knows what happens behind closed doors.

But the Richard Owen she knew was not only kind to his mother, he was a thoughtful neighbor, often extending his helping hand.

One time she and her father were having a hard time installing crown molding in her home when Richard saved the day.

"Here comes Richard," she said recalling that day and the next words he spoke: 'Let me help you.'"

While Richard Owen would take care of mowing and edging the lawn, even buying a new rider mower in recent weeks, it was his mother who tended to the flowers until recently, Deal said.

She didn't know of any ailments Joan Owen had but, she said, she had started slowing down because of aging, recently changing from a cane to a walker. Still, Deal often saw her shuffling about outside her pool and occasionally saw her swimming.

"Both of them were just fantastic," she said.

Joy was one of the neighbors who noticed something was amiss as he took his dog, Seven, for walks down the street.

He first noticed the papers piling up outside. Richard Owen would always grab the paper when he let Chico outside and often Chico and Seven would visit when the two men would chat outside.

"He was a very caring person," he said, adding that Owen never complained about taking care of his mother.

His hope is that perhaps investigators are wrong and that Joan Owen died of natural causes.

"Maybe his mother had a heart attack and it was too much for him to handle," he pondered Monday afternoon while walking Seven.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"It's upsetting," he said quietly.

The neighbors said they didn't know if the mother and son had lived together longer than 24 years or why they resided together.

On March 12, 1998, Joan Wood filed with Pasco Circuit Court a preneed declaration, apparently preparing for the future. The document stated that "In the event of my incapacity to properly care for myself and/or my property," that Richard Owen become her guardian. Nothing formal had been filed in the case since, records show.

Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083.

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