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[1] How was Tommy Holmes murdered? Multiple gun shots to the body and head. Several gun shots to the head were fired at very close range, with the gun itself touching Tommy's head. Considering the amount of bullets initially fired at Tommy, and the 3 bullets fired directly into his head -- this was a case of extreme over-kill, the type usually seen in "rage" killings. [2] What was used to shoot him? The weapon has never been found. Perhaps a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. [3] When was Tommy murdered? Thursday, January 9, 2003 between 8:05 PM and 8:15 PM. Thomas C. Holmes, 44, was pronounced dead by McKeesport area paramedics, Lewis and McClinton, at 8:18 PM. [4] Where was he murdered? Along the 600 block of Madison Street, a half block from his Fairview Avenue apartment in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Police and medics found Tommy's lifeless body lying in front of a home at 637 Madison St. [5] Why was he murdered? The killer and the motive remain a mystery. McKeesport police and Allegheny County detectives have multiple motives that center on one suspect, Joseph Rhone -- variously known as Joseph Nixon. [6] How can I call anonymously and help the investigation? You can call the PENNSYLVANIA CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-4-PA-TIPS. They will keep your assistance anonymous and administer the reward monies. Other useful contacts are: PITTSBURGH CRIME STOPPERS, INC. 202 Penn Circle West - Pittsburgh, PA 15206 412/ 255-TIPS (412/255-8477) or 412/ 665-4000 McKeesport Police at 412/ 675-5015 Allegheny County Homicide Division at 412/ 473-3000 [7] Who do police consider to be the prime suspect? Authorities have arrested Joseph Rhone, 20, of McKeesport, who confessed to Allegheny County detectives a week after the shooting, but who failed to give them details of the crime, a motive, or a murder weapon. [8] Who does the family suspect? The family is in a state of shock over the sudden death of Tommy Holmes, and the bizarre police reports concerning his outrageous murder on an open street in the early evening of January 9. According to police, many people witnessed the crime, but nobody saw the criminal. Many people heard gunshots and saw the victim die, but strangely, no one saw the shooter who finished his kill at very close range. The family looked to the police for answers in the days immediately following the crisis, only to find more troubling questions. The morning after the murder, there were local news reports that a McKeesport police officer "just happened to be driving by" the scene of his town's first homicide of 2003. The police officer's name is Detective Joseph Osinski. The McKeesport Daily News was told by Police Chief Ron Willard that Detective Osinski was on "routine patrol", and heard screaming in the area, which he assumed was a "domestic incident." So, Officer Osinski was one of the many people on the 600 block of Madison Avenue that night, who heard desperate screams and who saw Tommy Holmes during the very few moments of his killing -- but failed to hear or see the killer. The fact is, Police Chief Willard, knowingly or unknowingly, was not telling the truth. It later became clear that Officer Osinski wasn't on "routine patrol" at all. Osinski had actually spoken with Tommy on the phone shortly before 8:00 PM to set up an impromptu meeting, and Osinski telephoned Tommy around 8:05 to say he was leaving the police station to meet him -- at the 600 block of Madison Avenue. This wasn't routine. This was anything but routine. It was a set-up appointment -- and yet the day after Tommy's death, county investigators personally repeated Osinski's "just happened to be driving by" story, to a family member. [9] Does the family actually suspect specific police or police agencies of murder? No, but some of the family, still reeling from Tommy's loss, have gone from disappointed and confused, to angry and suspicious. And the cloud of suspicion surrounding Willard and Osinski, extends to other area authorities, including McKeesport's, Lt. Lane and Sgt. Rydzak, who were also apparently at the scene of a crime they presumably had no idea was about to happen. Two reports place the responding officers at 600 Madison by 8:09. Even allowing for a few minutes one way or the other, Officer Osinski's 8:05 telephone call to Tommy must have happened several minutes before his request for assistance, since he had to travel from the station to Madison Avenue -- some 4 or 5 minutes away. Impossibly, it is only four minutes after Osinski's coversation with Tommy, when Lane and Rydzak arrive on the scene to find Tommy dead. Something's very wrong here. The timing doesn't make sense. Police reports are either mistaken or false because the timeline defies all reason and logic. Also, certain weary and emotionally exhausted members of the family are less than convinced by the vague and hasty confession of 20-years-young, Joseph Rhone A.K.A. Joseph Nixon. Since this turned out not to be a "domestic incident", friends and in-laws are cleared, and the focus shifts to outlaws -- to one or more very, very bitter and enraged outlaws, who shot at Tommy some 10 or 15 times and then pressed the gun against Tommy's face and fired even more shots at point blank range. [10] Have the police filed charges? Homicide charges were brought against Rhone. [11] Have the police been able to identify the cartridges used in the shooting? Yes. They were similar to a bullet police apparently "found" in Rhone's house. [12] Was there any indication of self-defense? Tommy Holmes did not have a weapon, and was seen fleeing from his attacker or attackers. There may have been more than one shooter. Tommy's last words were "THEY'RE trying to shoot me," possibly indicating a conspiracy. [13] Has the murder weapon been found? No. The weapon has never been recovered. [14] Was there any indication of a robbery or drug deal gone bad? No. [15] Was Tommy having major problems or being threatened? Nothing out of the ordinary has surfaced, officially or unofficially. [16] How has the media reported Tommy Holmes murder? The press has predictably focused on drugs and street violence. Some news organizations went so far as to report that Tommy may have been secretly working for the police. The truth is, Tommy had relationships, dealings and encounters with an alarmingly wide variety people, including drug-users and police officers -- but he also had relationships with his children and his family, and had managed to get along just fine for many, many years -- never living very far from the neighborhood where he grew up. The open speculation in the press about Tommy being a drug "informant" is an outrageous and virtually unprovable allegation. The origins of this extremely dangerous rumor have been linked back to the McKeesport police, who presumably gave such information to reporter Brenda Waters of Pittsburgh's station KDKA. There is no credible evidence that Tommy was an "informant" for Joe Osinski, the McKeesport police Department ,or any other law enforcement agency. [17] Do people feel strange or uncomfortable asking about updates on the murder investigation? Yes. Hopefully this website can act as a touchstone for emotional healing as well as a mind-settling central data base of information for the curious and the concerned. |