Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Maryland State Police investigating possible Finksburg murder-suicide

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Maryland State Police investigating possible Finksburg murder-suicide

10/14/2010

By Kevin Dayhoff

(Also see: FAMILY FEUD — Finksburg man kills former neighbor, self, in ...
Investigative Voice By Kevin Dayhoff Maryland State Police are continuing its investigation of a murder-suicide in the Finksburg area of Carroll County just north of the ...) http://investigativevoice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6277:family-feud&catid=25:the-project&Itemid=44

Maryland State Police are continuing its investigation of a possible murder-suicide in the Finksburg area of the county.

Just after midnight, earlier this morning, the State Police were heard on the police scanner responding to 911 calls reports that gun shots were heard in the 1500-block of Pilgrim Lane, near Sandymount Road between MD Route 140 and the town of Patapsco.

When the troopers arrived on the scene they “found the victim lying in his driveway with what appeared to be gunshot wounds,” according to a police report by Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley.

“The victim is identified as Steven W. Focht, 48, of the 1500-block of Pilgrim Lane, Finksburg, Md. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His body will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy,” reports Shipley.

State Police quickly “developed information on a possible suspect and troopers determined the suspect’s vehicle was also at the scene,” according to information gathered from the police scanner and later confirmed in Shipley’s police report.

“Troopers determined the suspect’s vehicle was one of the vehicles in the victim’s driveway.” According to information gather from the police scanner – and later confirmed by Shipley, “Troopers established a perimeter around the area and conducted a search for the suspect throughout the early morning. The search for the suspect involved a State Police helicopter, K-9 units, a tracking team, the Special Tactical Assault Team Element, and troopers patrolling throughout the area.”

The State Police homicide unit, assisted by members of the Westminster Barrack Criminal Investigation Section and crime scene technicians from the State Police Forensic Sciences Division, also responded to conduct an investigation.

Hours ago, shortly after 7 a.m. this morning, the suspect in the case was found and was pronounced dead in the backyard of a nearby residence in the 2400-block of Shawnee Drive.

Earlier this morning, the identity of the suspect was being withheld until family can be notified. In a police report just released, “The suspect is identified as Gregory A. Martin, 51, of the 4600-block of Doncrest Lane, Sykesville, Md.”

According to Shipley, “As daylight appeared, a trooper on the perimeter saw the body of a man lying in the back yard of a residence in the 2400-block of Shawnee Drive, Finksburg. This is a short distance away from the victim’s home and in the same neighborhood. This was also identified as the suspect’s previous home and where his estranged wife still lives.

EMS personnel determined on the scene, that Martin was deceased. State Police investigators recovered a .357 caliber handgun next to Martin’s body.

The preliminary investigation indicates Martin and Focht had an ongoing dispute that apparently began when the two were neighbors, according to Shipley “State Police had responded to the neighborhood on two separate occasions for disputes between the two in 2007 and 2008. No criminal prosecutions resulted in either incident.”

“Investigators believe from the initial evidence that Focht arrived home from work shortly after midnight today and Martin pulled into the driveway behind him.

“A confrontation occurred in the driveway and Focht was shot in the upper torso multiple times. Investigators believe Martin then ran to the backyard of his previous residence and took his own life.”

This is a developing story, check back for additional details as they become known.

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