Who Murdered This Couple In Their Million-Dollar Mansion?
John and Geraldine Magee, a couple from Andover, Massachusetts, appeared to live a comfortable, happy life.
The high school sweethearts spent decades together, welcoming two children into the world and, later, grandchildren. John, who was also referred to as “Jack,” had a successful construction business, allowing him and Geraldine to reside in a $1 million house and own a second property in Jupiter, Florida.
So, when both John and Geraldine were found murdered in the living room of their Orchard Crossing home on December 14, 2011, the community was shaken.
The evening before, December 13, their daughter, Holly, had spoken on the phone with Geraldine at about 4:40 p.m. and planned to drop her two kids off the next morning. That way, Holly could get some Christmas shopping done.
Yet, after pulling up to her parents’ house the following morning, Holly quickly noticed something was off. The front door was locked, which was strange since it was typically left unlocked if John and Geraldine knew people were coming over. Additionally, Geraldine didn’t greet Holly as usual, and the garage door had been left open, with the light still on.
Once Holly entered her parents’ residence, she then realized the TV had been left on high volume, and their dog, Treasure, looked irritated.
It was her young daughter who hurried into the living room and ultimately discovered John and Geraldine shot dead, surrounded by a lot of blood. Holly took her kids, ran outside, and dialed 911.
Authorities arrived on the scene at 9:18 a.m. and began assessing the scene. John had been shot three times near his neck and head; meanwhile, Geraldine had been shot once in the head.
“We know that it was a .45 caliber. We think it probably might be an older weapon in terms of the firearm. But it’s a .45 caliber firearm,” said DA Paul Tucker.
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Investigators didn’t find any signs of forced entry, and no items had been stolen, which ruled out robbery as a motive. Instead, the slaying seemed personal, sending shock waves through the community.
The couple’s car was taken from their garage and missing from their residence, too. It didn’t take long for the police to locate their vehicle, a Lexus SUV, over 20 miles away.
The car was reportedly set on fire at 126 Prince Street in Boston’s North End the night prior at approximately 10:30 p.m. Authorities are still searching for a man who was spotted with the vehicle.
“What we had was a very basic description. We know that it was a male of average height and average size. We don’t really know anything else beyond that, but that person definitely walked away from the vehicle,” DA Tucker detailed.
The car had been torched just one block away from the Angiulo Crime Family’s headquarters at 98 Prince Street.
According to the couple’s daughter, Holly, and their son, John Jr., their family had no ties to the North End of Boston. Rather, the Magees would simply get Italian meals there from time to time.
It remains unclear why John and Geraldine’s car was taken to Boston and parked in that specific neighborhood and whether the placement was strategic to make it seem like the double murder was mob-related.
John Jr. worked with his father in their family construction business, and nothing was astray. DA Tucker uncovered no evidence of questionable business practices, either.
“What we know is that Jack Magee was a successful businessman. We know that his son had a nice, strong role in the construction business as well. They had built a number of homes around the area, and the investigators looked very deeply into the business practices and were unable to find anything that looked like it might have had an impact on the case at hand,” he explained.
Investigators also interviewed the couple’s relatives. They learned John Jr. had been at their home the day before, visiting on business, until about 4:00 p.m. At the time, everything seemed fine. Later, Holly spoke to her mother at 4:40 p.m. on the phone, and no one heard from John or Geraldine for the rest of the evening.
Since their burning vehicle was found on Prince Street at 10:30 p.m., approximately a one-hour drive from the couple’s home, the police determined the Magees were likely murdered no later than 9:30 p.m. John and Geraldine were still in their street clothes at the time they were killed and hadn’t yet put on their pajamas.
However, while the timeline has been nailed down, why the spouses were targeted is another story. Their murders have been described as execution-style hits that were professional and calculated.
Authorities are still pleading with the public for their assistance. Despite the double murder case going unsolved for over 13 years, DA Tucker hopes anyone with information about the murder weapon, the Lexus set ablaze in the North End, or the identity of the man who walked away from the car will come forward.
“It would not bring them back. But it would close a difficult chapter of our lives and bring justice to what happened. I hate that whoever did this has gotten away with this all these years. You can’t get away with something like this,” Holly stated.
Anyone with information regarding John and Geraldine’s case is urged to contact the Massachusetts State Police at (978) 745-8908.
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