In a shocking and heart-wrenching incident, a police sergeant and his family were discovered dead in their New City home in Rockland County, in what appears to be a murder-suicide. The grim discovery was made by Clarkstown Police officers who responded to a welfare check at the residence in the early hours of Saturday morning.
At approximately 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, December 30, 2023, officers from the Clarkstown Police Department were dispatched to 10 Clydesdale Ct. in New City following concerns about the well-being of the occupants. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers entered the home and found four lifeless bodies, all with apparent gunshot wounds.
The victims were identified as Watson Morgan, 49 years old, his wife Ornela Morgan, 43 years old, and their two sons, aged 10 and 12. Tragically, all four family members were pronounced dead at the scene.
Watson Morgan, the 49-year-old father, served as a sergeant with the Bronxville Police Department, adding an even more somber dimension to the heartbreaking incident. Based on preliminary investigations, it is believed that Mr. Morgan took the lives of his wife and two children before turning the weapon on himself in an apparent suicide. Authorities have confirmed the recovery of a handgun at the scene.
Local law enforcement has assured the public that this incident is isolated, and there is no immediate threat to the community. The Clarkstown Police Department’s Detective Bureau is diligently working on the case, and a briefing on the matter is expected later during the weekend, although the exact timing has not been determined.
In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, County Executive Ed Day expressed his condolences and support for the family, friends, and colleagues of the victims, as well as the entire Town of Clarkstown. He stated, “As we try to make sense of this unimaginable tragedy, our hearts break for the family involved in this devastating murder-suicide in Clarkstown. Please know that my thoughts are with everyone impacted by this incredibly tragic incident.”
The investigation into this heartbreaking incident remains ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Clarkstown Police Department’s Detective Bureau at (845) 639-5840. The community is left grappling with the shock and sadness that this tragedy has brought, as they attempt to come to terms with the loss of four lives in such a heartbreaking manner.