Irishman in apparent family killing in US

A CAVAN man living in the United States hanged himself with electrical cord on Thursday after apparently killing his two daughters.

New Jersey police said Thomas Reilly, 46, appeared to have drowned the two girls Megan, six, and Kelly, five, in a bathtub before killing himself in the attic of the house he was renting in Montclair.

Deputy Police Chief Roger Terry said his department got a phone call saying that the girls’ mother had become concerned because she had not been able to reach Mr Reilly at home after dropping off the girls with him earlier in the day.

Teresa Reilly had separated from her husband several months ago and still lived in the family home in Verona.

According to reports in the local media she had called to her estranged husband’s new home to pick up the girls to bring them to a birthday party, but could get no response at the front door.

When officers arrived at Mr Reilly’s house they discovered the two girls in a bathroom on the first floor and soon found Mr Reilly in the attic hanging by an electrical cord.

The two girls were fully clothed and submerged in the bath.

Neighbours reported that Mr Reilly’s body remained hanging for more than four hours after police arrived at the scene and that the police flashlights made it visible through the attic window.

A friend of the family, Thomas Giblin told reporters the dead man had previously owned an Irish bar but had then began working on two maintenance jobs.

“He was very conscientious,” he said. “It’s unfortunate to say the least. He seemed to really love his kids.”