A wealthy New York real estate property manager gunned down his wife and teenage daughter with a 12-gauge shotgun before turning the weapon on himself on Friday, it was reported on Saturday.
Investigators are still trying to piece together details that would explain how such a tragedy could destroy a seemingly happy, well-off family in wealthy Westchester County, the New York Post reported.
Steven Dym, 56, Loretta, 50, and Caroline, 18, were discovered inside their Westchester mansion Friday morning at 11am by the family’s housekeeper, authorities said.
Police said that Steven Dym fatally shot his wife and daughter once in the torso before firing a single round into his head.
The body of Caroline Dym (pictured), 18, was discovered Friday following an apparent murder-suicide
Steven Dym and Loretta Dym are pictured attending the The Sixteenth Annual Midsummer Night Drinks Benefiting God’s Love We Deliver at Private Residence on June 18, 2016 in Bridgehampton, NY. Steven is believed to have shot dead his wife and their daughter in an apparent double murder-suicide
Investigators said that they have yet to uncover evidence of marital strife.
The couple was not going through a divorce, police said, nor has there ever been any report of domestic violence.
‘We are still interviewing family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, trying to understand why this tragedy occurred,’ said State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra.
Investigators are now examining the possibility that Steven Dym may have run into financial troubles.
The grisly double murder-suicide shocked friends and acquaintances of the couple.
‘Never ever in my whole entire life [did I see this coming],’ said Gorana Odobasic, 28, a close friend of Loretta Dym.
‘I’m in such utter shock, Loretta and just the way she spoke about her husband — her kids were her life.’
Odobasic, a resident of Queens, New York, said there was no indication that the Dyms’ marriage was rocky.
‘It seemed that they were very happy,’ Odobasic said.
‘She never really spoke about [her relationship] much. Her life was her kids. The few times I’ve met Steve Dym, he seemed like a great husband and a great father.
Steven Dym was the CEO of Gabriel Management in New York City, a realty company founded by his father. The family lived in an estate in Westchester county, pictured above
‘They were both all about their kids, their kids’ futures. I would have never guessed in a million years.’
Police would not reveal where the bodies were found or in what order the mom and daughter were killed.
While there is no indication as of yet that Steve and Loretta were violent towards one another, there was once instance of violence between members of the Dym family in the Westchester home.
Dym’s mother Paula was sent to a psychiatric hospital in 1992 after attacking his father Lawrence with a hatchet while he slept, USA Today reported.
Lawrence survived the incident and Paula was placed in a mental care facility.
Authorities are examining possible financial turmoil in the household, which may explain why the couple reportedly put the multi-million dollar mansion up for sale.
A neighbor told NBC 4 that the family’s 4,600 square foot home, which is worth upwards of $1.5million, is currently on the market.
And another neighbor, Vito, told the New York Daily News he went to a tag sale at their home last month.
‘He was having a big tag sale over here,’ the 88-year-old said.
‘He didn’t know where he was gonna go. I asked him “Where are you going to move?” He said “I don’t know yet. I haven’t made up my mind.”‘
Dym was the CEO of Gabriel Management in New York City, a realty company founded by his father.
Loretta was a businesswoman and vice president of Club Quarters Hotels in Manhattan and a volunteer with Make-A-Wish foundation.
Investigators are seen above at the scene in Westchester where the three bodies were found
The 4,600 square foot family home in Westchester is pictured above, which is worth over $1.5million
(L-R) Alina Lundry, Patricia Bostelman, Steven Dym and Loretta Dym attend The Sixteenth Annual Midsummer Night Drinks Benefiting God’s Love We Deliver at Private Residence on June 18, 2016 in Bridgehampton, NY
The wealthy businessman also had ties to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In 2002, the Dyms donated $4,150 to Cuomo’s failed gubernatorial campaign, according to The New York Post, and were thanked by the governor personally in his 2003 book ‘Crossroads: The Future of American Politics.’
A Cuomo spokesperson told the Post he has not been in contact with the family for more than a decade.
‘The acknowledgements in the book were to thank many past supporters from the 2002 campaign. The governor has not seen or heard of this person in 15 years,’ said spokesman Richard Azzopardi.
The home, which is pictured from the back, might be up for sale, which could indicate money problems within the family
Pictured in a listing on Zillow, the home is worth over $1.6million and has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a large pool in the back yard
The Dym family had ties to Governor Andrew Cuomo, donating to his failed gubernatorial effort in 2002. Cuomo is pictured on August 24, 2017, in Tarrytown, New York, at the opening of the new Tappan Zee Bridge
Steven and Loretta Dym’s daughter, Caroline, was a student-athlete at Sacred Heart Greenwich.
Caroline was a golf star at her school and excelled at her studies, taking second place in a regional science fair in February, according to the New York Post.
The family leaves behind a 20-year-old son William, who is currently in his third year at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.