Michigan news anchor killed, 4 others injured in apparent murder suicide

A Detroit news anchor was killed and his girlfriend and their two kids injured in what police are calling a murder and attempted suicide – carried out by a 54-year-old ‘frequent visitor’ to the radio host’s Michigan home.

The attack happened around midday Friday, police said, after Jim Matthews, an overnight anchor at WWJ950, invited the currently hospitalized suspect into his home in Chesterfield Township, a quiet suburb outside of Detroit.

Shortly thereafter, police were called to the residence, and found 57-year-old Matthews dead and his 35-year-old girlfriend, Nichole Guertin, seriously injured, having been stabbed multiple times.

Also injured was the pair’s 10-year-old son, Hunter, who was found tied up in a closet with head trauma, critically injured, cops said. He was promptly hospitalized, with his condition currently unknown.

Guertin, Matthew’s live-in girlfriend, was also hospitalized, after escaping the horrific scene with the pair’s other daughter, five-year-old Rosie, who suffered less serious, unspecified injuries, cops said. 

Stabbed multiple times and leaving her older child behind, the woman was able to escape the house with the young girl and flag down a driver to call police, despite reportedly being bound and gagged.

Both have since been hospitalized – the girl in stable condition with unspecified injuries, and Matthews’ partner more seriously injured with multiple stab wounds.

Upon arriving at the residence, authorities also found the 54-year-old male suspect, overdosing on heroine and suffering from self-inflicted wounds in the home’s basement. 

The suspect was then resuscitated by officials with the prescription narcotic Narcan, and was taken into police custody. He remains hospitalized and is in stable condition, but faces a litany of charges for the assault – for which cops have yet to glean a motive. 

Cops noted that the unidentified attacker had been an acquaintance of the family as well as frequent visitor of the residence, and had been invited inside the home before carrying out the attack, police said.

The sudden tragedy has since left locals and the Detroit news scene reeling as they mourn the late anchor, who spent nearly seven years as the radio station’s overnight news anchor.   

The late broadcaster was remembered by his longtime employer as a devoted and dependable family man who was passionate about reporting the news throughout his time with the network.

‘He would often talk to co-workers about his children and his love for them and their adventures at school,’ the radio station wrote.

‘He was a consummate professional and was dedicated to WWJ and the broadcasting industry. He loved delivering the latest news to his listeners.’

The station added that ‘there have been many tears shed in our newsroom’ in the wake of Matthews’ sudden death, and that ‘our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s family and friends.’

Troublingly, many of Matthews’ colleague’s learned of his passing live on air, forced to anchor Jackie Paige report the then breaking incident to thousands of daytime listeners.

‘We are updating our top story this afternoon,’ Paige said while announcing the grisly murder Friday.  ‘It’s very difficult to report. Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township.’

Staffer added that Matthews would often talk about his children and tout his love for them to his coworkers at WWJ, excitingly telling them about their adventures at elementary school. 

‘Something like this I never would have expected it in a million years,’ said broadcaster Charlie Langton, who reports for the station during the day, of his late colleague. 

‘When he was off at 5 am I was just coming in at 5 am, so I would see him,’ Langton recalled. ‘He always had a nice word, always had something good to say. He was just a great guy.’

Neighbors in the close-knit suburb were similarly shocked by the tragedy, which is currently being probed by local police.

‘I think it’s crazy. I can’t make sense of it,’ said Thomas Teague, who said. ‘I just got a ton of phone calls of them telling me what happened and she was laying outside bound and gagged.’

His colleagues fought through their emotions as they remembered Matthews on air.

‘He would often talk to co-workers about his children and their adventures at school,’ Paige said during an on-air tribute. ‘He was a consummate professional and was dedicated to WWJ and the broadcasting industry. He loved delivering the latest news to his listeners every night.

‘There have been many tears shed in our newsroom this afternoon. Our thoughts and our prayers go out Jim’s family.’

Police said they were notified of the incident after a bound and gagged Guertin managed to escape the home with Rosie in tow before flagging down an unidentified driver. 

The driver then called 911, and police would descend on the scene minutes later.

‘A 35-year-old white female had escaped with her five-year-old daughter,’ said Chesterfield Police Chief Brian Bassett.

The top cops added that Guertin ‘was suffering from stab wounds at that time,’ to which ‘our police officers and firefighters began rendering aid.’ 

At that point, Bassett added, ‘additional officers made entry into the home,’ where they came across Matthews, who was already deceased.

Police said they then found 10-year-old Hunter, locked in a closet with a severe head injury.

Sources told Local 4 that the youngster was beaten by the alleged perpetrator over the head multiple times with a hammer – as he tried to fight off the suspect who was killing his father, who instead left him for dead tied up in the closet.

‘We also found a 10-year-old white male bound and suffering from blunt force trauma,’ Bassett said. The boy, like his mother, was also hospitalized and said to be in critical condition.

Police added that Rosie also ‘injured’ but did not detail the severity of those injuries, saying that she was in stable condition.

All three remained hospitalized as of Saturday morning, with Guertin, according to Basset, in critical but stable condition; her daughter in stable condition; and the boy in critical condition. The suspect, meanwhile, Basset said, was in stable condition.

The chief did not disclose the location of or specific type of injuries the suspect – as well as the victims suffered.

‘Our investigation has determined this is an isolated tragedy that does not present a danger to our community at this time,’ Bassett said during the news conference,

Police have yet to reveal the identity of the attacker, and have only hinted at a supposed connection to the family. Their investigation is currently ongoing, with the suspect likely facing first-degree and attempted murder charges.