Pennsylvania Man Blows Up Own House on Day of Daughter's Wedding

Police in Pennsylvania say a 59-year-old man blew up his own home in an apparent suicide, on the same day his daughter was reportedly getting married.

Edgewood police say the man's body was discovered in the rubble of his home, which was destroyed by the explosion and fire, on Saturday. Neighbors told WTAE that they heard what sounded like an explosion before the fire.

"The whole house was on fire," Rochelle Levine told the station. "The whole house was one big flame. It just exploded within a couple minutes. Above all the roofs."

According to Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne, neighbors saw the homeowner on the sidewalk just before the house exploded. His vehicle and cellphone were found, but the man, who was not identified, was not found. Rescue crews eventually brought in heavy equipment to search through the rubble, and found his body shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Payne told reporters the department was investigating the explosion as a suspicious incident.

“It looks like he disconnected the gas line in the basement of the house and of course, it wouldn’t take much of a spark to explode the house,” Payne told the news outlet.

Suicide notes were also discovered in the homeowner's vehicle, officials said.

Neighbors also told the station that the man's daughter was scheduled to get married the same day of the explosion and that they were supposed to be at the wedding.

“I’ve known them my whole life,” neighbor Nicole Antolovich told the news station. “Their daughter was getting married today and they were supposed to be at a wedding.”

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content