Oct 31, 2009 9:14 pm US/Eastern
Murder-Suicide At Business Linked To Love Triangle
EASTPOINT, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Wayne Keary was killed at his business.
CBS
A murder-suicide at a business appears to have been motivated by intense jealousy.
Those who know the people who died say it was a love triangle, and while they were shocked by the gunfire, they weren't surprised.
Suzanne Collins explains police believe the husband of an employee shot the company owner and then himself.
The estranged wife of the man police say committed this murder-suicide tells WJZ she might have been warned, that's if she had checked her cell messages Friday morning. The woman says she would have heard desperate pleas from her husband not to leave him right before the shootings.
Employees ran from Keary Advertising in Eastpoint Friday when they heard multiple gunshots, and saw the owner, Wayne Keary, lying on the floor of his office.
"He was lying on his side by the door, a couple of his chairs knocked over. It was smoky and I saw multiple bullet wounds," said Diane Withrow.
Police say Dennis McLaughlin, who then committed suicide, was jealous.
He learned his estranged wife who worked for the Eastpoint company was having a relationship with her boss. A good friend and neighbor of Wayne Keary says it very upsetting, but not unexpected.
"I just started screaming when I heard the news because he was like a son to me," said Sarah Mickey.
Sarah Mickey says this isn't the first time there have been threats. Once, five years ago, Dennis McLaughlin threatened Keary and Sherry McLaughlin when he saw them in a car together. Court records show Keary filed a protective order after that incident.
"He and Sherry pulled up in a car and got out and he threatened him. He says 'I will kill you. You will be a dead man,'" Mickey said.
Sherry McLaughlin tells Eyewitness News that she was part of that love triangle. The woman says her husband learned of the rekindled relationship this week, and even left messages begging her to return to him the morning of the shootings, which she discovered afterward.
"I am completely numb and I guess I can say I'm not really surprised," Mickey said.
Dennis McLaughlin also owned a business, a Dundalk pool hall where his family hung a black ribbon on the door.
There was a very telling sign on the door to the pool hall. It read "Due to sickness we will be closing," right around the time of the murder-suicide. The sign said they would reopen Monday and it was signed Dennis.
McLaughlin's mother, daughters and estranged wife say he was a good man, just obsessed because of his intense love for his wife, troubled over her estrangement and angry with the man who had been a personal friend.
Employees of Keary Advertising say they too knew the shooter and were aware of the relationships.
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