New York

Cops ID Persons of Interest in Brooklyn Home Invasion That Killed 91-Year-Old Man, Injured 100-Year-Old Wife

The couple was tied up and pillowcases were placed over their heads, police said

What to Know

  • The husband and wife were at their apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant when at least two masked men burst in
  • The couple was tied up and pillows were placed over their heads, sources said
  • The woman broke free and called police; her husband was pronounced dead at an area hospital

Police say they've identified two persons of interest in the violent Brooklyn home invasion that left a 91-year-old man dead and his 100-year-old wife hospitalized. 

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Thursday that police are actively pursuing and gathering evidence against the two masked suspects who broke into Waldiman Thompson and wife Ethlin Brumley Thompson's home in Bedford-Stuyvesant last week, pulled pillowcases over their heads and tied them up. 

By the time Ethlin was able to get away and call 911, police found Waldiman unresponsive on the floor. He was pronounced dead after he arrived at Interfaith Medical Center. Medical examiners later told DNAinfo that the man had heart disease and high blood pressure and the stress of the break-in caused him to have a heart attack. 

Ethlin was taken to the same hospital for injuries to her legs and for observation.

Authorities said the burglars ransacked the home -- but it’s not clear if anything was taken.

Earlier this week, police put out surveillance images of a person of interest in the case and announced a $10,000 reward for information. Boyce said he's pleased with the progress of the police investigation.

"We've had detectives working almost nonstop since that happened, so we're getting close and that's good news," he said. 

Ethlin and Wadiman sat side by side in front of their brownstone every day, giving compliments to neighbors, according to The New York Times

"All they had was each other," their 34-year-old tenant Anil Lopez told the Times. He said he called them "Mom" and "Pops" -- and they called each other "honey." 

"They're very nice, respectable people," Sharon Lyons told News 4. "I hope they find the people responsible for this."

A wake for Waldiman Thompson was held Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. A funeral will be held Friday at 10 a.m.

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