Chesterfield murder victim ID'd as WWJ News anchor Jim Matthews
FOX 2 - The murder victim in a tragic crime scene in Chesterfield Township has been identified as 57-year-old Jim Matthews, a news anchor at WWJ-950 AM.
The station made the announcement late Friday afternoon that he was the man found dead at the Chesterfield house where a woman was discovered stabbed and a 10-year-old boy tied up and shoved into a closet.
According to police, they were called to a domestic situation near Hooker and Jefferson where police said one man was killed, a suspect and three other victims - including two children - are all being treated at the hospital.
Police said the woman and boy are both in critical condition in the hospital. The 5-year-old is stable. According to Public Safety Director Brian Bassett, the woman and the girl were able to escape the home and flag down a passing driver who then called 911.
Bassett said that witnesses described the woman holding a small child running from the house "covered in blood."
Police had been called to a home on Bayview around noon and said one man attacked the other four victims and was ultimately found in the basement.
According to Bassett, a 35-year-old woman had been stabbed multiple times, a 10-year-old boy was found tied up in a closet with trauma to his head, and a 5-year-old girl was also injured.
Matthews, who was the father of the two hurt children, had been an employee at WWJ-950 and worked there for nearly seven years, afternoon anchor Jackie Paige said
In an update on-air, Paige said this story "is hitting home for us and is very difficult to report."
"Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township. As you heard Jim's girlfriend and two children are hospitalized.
"He would often talk to co-workers about his children, his love for them, and their adventures at school. He was a consummate professional and was dedicated to WWJ and the broadcasting industry. He loved delivering the latest news to his listeners every night. There have been many tears shed in our newsroom this afternoon. Our thoughts and our prayers go out Jim's family and friends."
Co-anchor Tony Ortiz said Matthews was always the guy who would "stick his neck out for you" and spoke about his friendly nature.
"One of the nicest guys you ever want to meet," Ortiz said. "Always willing to sit down and talk to you. Always friendly, whether it was midnight, 5 a.m., whatever time it was when he was here, Jim was always that guy, that friendly guy, the guy who would stick his neck out for you and say ‘Hey, if you need some help, you need anything, I’m the guy to come to.'"
Inside the home, police found Matthews dead and the boy bound in a closet. When they searched, they found a 54-year-old man who was overdosing and had self-inflicted wounds in the basement.
Bassett did not explain what those wounds were from but said that a gun was not involved.