Anne Morell Petrillo, 38, the daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas, is believed to have committed suicide by jumping off the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, NY, Thursday. Incidentally, New York State police said this is the same bridge her stepfather jumped from after killing her mother, Anne Scripps Douglas, nearly 16 years ago. Ms. Petrillo's body has not yet been recovered, but the police have confirmed that they believe she had committed suicide. The Journal News of Westchester County is reporting that she apparently got out of her car on the bridge, removed her clothes and then jumped into the Hudson River around 8 p.m.
The death of her mother in 1993 shed light on the fact that domestic violence can also occur among the affluent as well. Ms. Petrillo’s stepfather, Scott Douglas, beat his wife to death with a hammer in Ms. Petrillo’s bedroom on New Year's Eve in 1993. Mr. Douglas fled and jumped from the Tappan Zee. His body was found three months later.
Anne Douglas was the great-great-granddaughter of James Scripps, the founder of The Detroit News. Morell Petrillo, in addition to her sister and stepsister, is survived by a teenage son. Her father, Anthony X. Morell, died in 2005.
Tragedy has struck New York City again. A small plane collided with a sightseeing helicopter, owned by Liberty Tours and was carrying Italian tourists over the Hudson River earlier today. The debris was reportedly scattered for miles and forced people on the New Jersey waterfront to run for cover. Authorities have said they believe all nine people aboard the two aircraft have been killed.
A small plane collided with a sightseeing helicopter carrying Italian tourists over the Hudson River on Saturday, scattering debris in the water and forcing people on the New Jersey waterfront to scamper for cover. Authorities believe all nine people aboard the two aircraft were killed.
The collision happened just after noon and was characterized by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg as "not survivable." The two aircraft went down just south of the stretch of river where a US Airways jet landed safely seven months ago. But this time such luck would not be on the side of these passengers.
Mayor Bloomberg said that two bodies were recovered in the water, one floating free and one in the wreckage, and other bodies were spotted in the debris in the river. Bloomberg also said that the crash victims included five Italian tourists and a pilot on the helicopter and the three people on the plane, including a child. This is such a tragedy.
