News

March 7, 2009

Dad: Fight led to murder-suicide

Father disputes official ruling of who shot first

ROSS TWP. – A dispute over a tire led to a gunfight that left two brothers dead in Hunlock Creek Thursday evening.

Officials said 27-year-old Michael A. Mitchell shot and killed his older brother, 35-year-old William E. Mitchell Jr., and then turned the gun on himself at the family’s property in rural Luzerne County.

But the siblings’ family disagrees with the coroner’s and police account of what happened.

“It’s just suspicious to me,” their father, William Mitchell Sr., 62, said Friday afternoon.

The son police say did the shooting was “quiet” and the son police reported was the victim was the “hothead,” he said.

“(William) fired on (Michael) and then took his own life,” he said. “It was five shots one right after another. I know my sons and I know (Michael) wouldn’t do something like that – shoot somebody.”

State police at Shickshinny say the brothers were arguing over property line boundaries outside the older brother’s mobile home at 18 Mitchell Lane. The scuffle escalated, according to police, and the younger brother fired several shots from a handgun, striking William.

An autopsy determined William died of multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide. Michael died of a single gunshot wound to the head and the death was ruled suicide.

Their father said the feuding has been going on for nearly three years.

The family lives in four adjacent mobile homes on a nine-acre tract in a heavily wooded area off Pall Road.

According to the father, the incident began when he moved a tire. He said he was doing gravel work for his daughter, Michelle, earlier that day and moved a tractor tire that had been in the way in a dirt driveway.

William came home from work and became upset the tire was moved.

The two brothers argued over the tire and the incident escalated, William Sr. said.

That’s when the shooting began.

The father said he heard the shots from inside his mobile home.

William and his wife, Tina Mitchell, lived with their two children, Matthew, 13, and Emily, 5. The children are staying with relatives. He worked for a catering service in Wilkes-Barre.

Michael was a “gentle, hard-working man,” according to William Sr. He was a truck driver for two years at a local gas company. He lived with his parents his entire life. He has a girlfriend, but no children.

The father said both sons carried guns: Michael a 9 mm handgun and William a .22-caliber handgun. He said neither had firearm licenses. Officials have not released what gun or guns were used in the shootings.

A neighbor, Evelyn Taylor, 70, who lives at 6 Niemchik Road, said her sons, Paul, 43, and Bryan, 39, both of Sweet Valley, grew up with William.

“He was a nice young man,” Taylor said.

Taylor said William and his younger brother quarreled over trivial things. The siblings’ last fight was nonetheless shocking, she said.

“It was just a senseless act,” Taylor said. “I’m sure it could have been settled. Two young lives just swiped out.”

Jen Marckini, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.

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