The brother of the Michigan news presenter who was killed in an alleged murder-suicide attempt by a “family friend” said that his 10-year-old nephew was seriously while trying to defend his family.
Jim Matthews, 57, the nighttime anchor for WWJ950, allegedly invited a “regular guest” to his Chesterfield Township home outside of Detroit on Friday night, according to police.
Shortly later, police were summoned to the house where they discovered Matthews dead and Nichole Guertin, his 35-year-old girlfriend, critically injured from numerous knife wounds.
Guertin was found in a neighboring parking lot, critically bleeding, and wrapped with duct tape.
Hunter Matthews, the son of Matthews, was severely injured when he attempted to confront his father’s murderer and is now in serious condition after undergoing brain and ear surgery.
Joe Nicolai, the brother of Jim Matthews, told WXYZ that the slaughter scene was “not even anything you’d see in a horror movie.”
There is no motivation, and I’m not sure why [the suspect] was in the residence, Nicolai said of the suspect. I spoke with the principal investigator, and my brother presumably found this when he got home.
“He gets home at 5:30 in the morning and was presumably startled and assaulted,” he said.
“I think that Hunter, the 10-year-old, was attempting to fight off this guy who was assaulting and trying to murder his father, and that’s how Hunter ended up hurt and bound and placed into a closet,” Nicolai said.
Jim Nicolai was another name for Jim Matthews.
Hunter was discovered in a closet tied up and injured. The killer, who is still in the hospital and has not been identified, is believed to have brutalized the youngster when he attempted to defend himself.
Joe Nicolai warned in an interview with WXYZ that his nephew could be permanently disfigured. Hunter suffered a hammer attack during the encounter.
As soon while possible, Hunter was sent to the hospital, where he had brain and ear surgery and is now being sedated as he “goes through the hardest hurdle he has yet to face,” according to his aunt Ashley Quigley.
The assault on Quigley’s sister’s family, which she called “vicious” and “needless,” has prompted her to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help her family, as well as to take in her niece Rosie, 5, who had less severe wounds.
In a different interview with Fox2, Joe Nicolai praised his brother, saying: “He was simply a great guy. He was really enthusiastic about his childs, took care of them, and was a family man.”
Just the children, my God, the children, traumatized for life, he said.
“I have no clue why he was there, what he was doing there, or what business he had there,” Nicolai emphasized when asked why the suspect was at his brother’s house.
Police said that Guertin, Matthew’s live-in partner, suffered significant injuries in the assault after fleeing the gruesome scene with Matthews’ child.
Despite being tied and gagged and being stabbed numerous times, the mother managed to flee the home with the small daughter and flag down a motorist to contact the police.
Authorities also discovered the 54-year-old male suspect inside the house, overdosing on heroin and suffering from self-inflicted injuries in the basement.
Officials used the prescription painkiller Narcan to revive the man, who was subsequently brought into custody by police.
The investigation, according to Chesterfield Police, is still underway.
The unidentified attacker is still hospitalized and is in stable condition, but he or she is also facing a slew of charges for the assault, for which police have not yet determined a reason.
Police said the unidentified attacker was a familiar face to the family and a frequent visitor to the house who had been invited inside before carrying out the attack.
Locals and the Detroit news community are still reeling from the abrupt tragedy, and they are mourning the late anchor, who anchored the nightly news for the radio station for over seven years.
His former employer recalled the late broadcaster as a kind and loyal family guy who was enthusiastic about news reporting throughout his tenure with the network.
The radio station said that “he would often chat to coworkers about his children, his affection for them, and their exploits at school.”
He was devoted to WWJ and the media sector and a model professional. He enjoyed giving his audience the most recent news.
In response to Matthews’ unexpected passing, the station said that “there have been many tears shed in our newsroom” and that “our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s family and friends.”
Uncomfortably, many of Matthews’ coworkers heard of his dying live on air, forcing anchor Jackie Paige to inform thousands of midday listeners of the then-breaking occurrence.
When revealing the horrific murder on Friday, Paige remarked, “We are upgrading our top story this afternoon.” It’s quite difficult to report. Jim Matthews, the host of our nightly newscast, was slain this afternoon in Chesterfield Township.
A staff member stated that Matthews would often brag about his childs and express his affection for them to his WWJ employees, excitingly informing them about their primary school exploits.
Broadcaster Charlie Langton, who reports for the station throughout the day, remarked of his late colleague, “Something like this I never would have thought it in a million years.”
Langton said, “When he got off at 5 am I was simply coming in at 5 am so I would see him.” “He always had a kind word to say, something positive to share.” Simply said, he was a fantastic man.
Local police are reportedly looking into the incident, which equally horrified neighbors in the tight-knit area.
“I consider it insane.” Thomas Teague stated, “I can’t make sense of it. She was lying outdoors chained and gagged, they told me in a barrage of phone calls that I just received.
His coworkers struggled to control their emotions as they paid tribute to Matthews on television.
During an on-air eulogy, Paige said, “He would frequently talk to coworkers about his children and their adventures at school.” He was devoted to WWJ and the broadcasting industry and a model professional. Every night, he enjoyed giving his listeners the most recent news.
“This afternoon, there have been many tears shed in our newsroom. Jim’s family is in our prayers and in our thoughts.
The incident was reported to police after a bound and gagged Guertin was able to leave the house with Rosie in tow before flagging down an unknown driver, according to police.
The driver then dialed 911, and minutes later, police arrived on the scene.
According to Chesterfield Police Chief Brian Bassett, “A 35-year-old white female had managed to escape with her 5-year-old daughter.”
Guertin “was suffering from stab wounds at that time,” the top cops continued, “to which our police officers and firefighters began rendering aid.”
At that point, according to Bassett, “additional officers made entry into the home,” where they discovered a dead Matthews.
Additionally, according to Bassett, “we discovered a 10-year-old white male bound and suffering from blunt force trauma.” Like his mother, the child was hospitalized and is reportedly in severe condition.
Rosie was also “hurt,” according to the police, who did not specify the extent of her wounds but rather said that she was in stable condition.
The suspect’s exact location or the nature of the injuries the victims as well as the chief did not mention.
During the press conference, Bassett said, “Our investigation has established this is an isolated incident that does not constitute a risk to our community at this time.”
Police haven’t said who the attacker is and have only made vague references to a potential relationship with the family. The suspect is expected to be charged with first-degree and attempted murder while their investigation is still underway.