Schroeppel, Oswego County (WSYR-TV) – The investigation into a fatal shooting inside an Oswego County home over the weekend continues. A mother and son came home Saturday night and found a man inside who had ransacked the house. A struggle ensued before thee mom got out her pistol and shot him to death.
48-year old Deanna Candee and her 25-year old son Adam returned to their home at 211 Hilltop Drive in the Town of Schroeppel at approximately 8:30 pm Saturday. Investigators said Candee and her son found Hartigan inside their home. A violent struggle followed before Candee shot and killed Hartigan.
Monday, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office said it was pooling together interviews gathered from the weekend. They said they are still investigating how 39-year-old Timothy Hartigan got inside of the house, but as of Monday evening still could not figure out how he entered the home. Sheriff’s deputies were also waiting for autopsy results in the case.
Hartigan had lived at the Montgomery Street YMCA for the past eight years. Cheryl Pusztai, who works there, said she knew him for four years, and said he moved out in early September, but could not say where he went.
Family members say between then and this past weekend, he had been hospitalized twice with schizophrenia. His family says he was diagnosed with schizophrenia about 10 years ago.
Hartigan had no prior history with the Onondaga or Oswego Co. Sheriff's Departments.
Investigators say the home was in shambles and Hartigan had cooked eggs and bacon in house while the family was gone.
Sheriff's Deputies say Candee legally owns the handgun used to shoot Hartigan.
Son speaks about his dad
As Sheriff's Deputies try to find out more about the circumstances surrounding the incident, we are learning more about the man who broke into the home.
Timothy’s son, Cody Hartigan spoke with NewsChannel 9 Monday afternoon. He says his dad’s mental illness is probably what brought him to the home at hilltop drive Saturday night.
Cody says his dad Timothy was diagnosed with schizophrenia ten years ago. “I think the voices told him that something was going on in that house. I think that he thought the woman was doing something wrong or that she was in danger and he needed to be there.”
Cody says his dad walked just about everywhere he went and that's most likely how he got to the home. “I think he just walked up 57 and that was the house.”
While the Candee family was out, the Sheriff's Department said the house was torn apart and someone had cooked in the kitchen. When the mother and son got home, they found Timothy in the house, got into a fight, which then ended with Timothy getting shot.
“I don't think he meant to hurt anyone. I don't think, I know he didn't mean to hurt anyone he probably didn't realize what was going,” said Cody.
It’s a hard realization for both Denise and Cody, who say it shouldn't have ended the way it did. “He wouldn't have done this if he was on his medicine.”
10:48 p.m. October 17, 2009
Town of Schroeppel (WSYR-TV) A mother and son who returned home to find a man inside their home, grabbed a gun and shot the intruder to death Saturday night.
Oswego County Sheriff's Deputies say it happened at about 8:30 pm at the home at 211 Hilltop Drive in the Town of Schroeppel.
Sheriff Reuel Todd says the intruder was inside the home for "a while" when the mother and son returned Saturday night to find him inside. Sheriff Todd says a "violent struggle" took place, at which point a single shot was fired, killing the intruder.
Sheriff Todd says investigators are trying to determine if the suspect's gun was used in the shooting, and will check the registration to determine ownership. He also said it's unclear who fired the fatal shot.
The mother and son were quite distraught, according to the Sheriff, and taken to the hospital for evaluation. Both are expected to be okay.
The intruder was a man in his 40's, but so far, his identity, nor the names of the mother and son, have been made public.
