CARROLL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A former police chief of Carroll Township and his wife were found dead in their home on Highland Road, and investigators suspect it's a double homicide.

The bodies of Howard Springer, 63, and his wife, Nancy, 65, were found by their daughter at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

Both Springers died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco, who performed the autopsies on Thursday night.

District Attorney Steven Toprani, who was the Springers' neighbor growing up, said Howard's body was found in the kitchen and Nancy was in the dining room. He said it was a bloody scene.

"She was a year behind me in school," Toprani said of the Springers' daughter. "Her brother and I were in each other's weddings. It's as close as it gets, let me tell you. That's what makes it difficult."

State police at the Belle Vernon barracks are leading the investigation.

Detectives said they found no signs of a forced entry into the house, which does have a security system.

In 1999, Howard Springer was charged with running a gambling operation. He admitted to taking payouts and assaulting a clerk at a country club. He was prosecuted and sentenced to three years of probation and fined $3,000.

Springer resigned as Carroll Township's police chief a week before facing those charges.

Nancy Springer was a former Washington County school teacher.

---

Related Links:
More Washington County News

RSS Headlines | E-Mail Headlines | Desktop Alert

---