Roger Hanks is a 76-year-old Chester County, Pennsylvania, man who is accused of shooting his wife and adult daughter to death on April 25 during an argument.
The accusations were announced in a news release posted by The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police (Troop J Avondale Barracks). The release says the agencies “announce the arrest of Roger Hanks, 76, of Kennett Square, for the murder of his wife and adult daughter during the early evening hours of April 25, 2024.”
The release noted, “The Defendant has been charged with two counts of Murder of the First Degree and other related charges. Magisterial District Judge Albert Iacocca arraigned the Defendant today; he is being held at the Chester County Prison without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8, 2024.”
6ABC identified the victims as Judith Hanks, 75, and Emily Hanks, 37. Roger Hanks is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, as with all criminal defendants in the United States.
On a LinkedIn page, Hanks wrote that he was a “hunter” at Bear Lodge Resort and lives in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The Philadephia Inquirer reported that the LinkedIn page was Hanks’.
Here’s what you need to know:
The District Attorney Says Roger Hanks ‘Senselessly Shot & Killed His Family Because of a Basic Dispute’
District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said in the release, “The Defendant senselessly shot and killed his family because of a basic dispute. It is unfathomable that anyone would react this way. I want to thank the Pennsylvania State Police who acted quickly and arrested the Defendant after being dispatched to the scene.”
“The criminal complaint (a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt) filed by the Pennsylvania State Police indicates that on April 25, 2024, Troopers were dispatched to a residence on the 200 Block of Wiltshire Drive, East Marlborough Township, Chester County for a report of a shooting,” the release says.
“Upon arrival, the Defendant was directed out of his house through the garage and then arrested. Inside the home, Troopers found two unresponsive victims with gunshot wounds laying on the ground. Emergency life-saving measures were administered, but sadly they were unsuccessful,” it notes.
“Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Frei is the assigned prosecutor. It appears to be an isolated incident and the police do not believe there is a threat to the general public. If you believe you have information about this incident, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police Avondale at 610-268-2022,” according to the release.
Roger Hanks Is Accused of Telling His Wife He Was Going to ‘Plug’ Her If She Wouldn’t ‘Leave Him Alone’
According to a charging affidavit obtained by 6ABC, Hanks is accused of telling his wife, “If you keep up this thing is going to go off on you” when they got in an argument while he cleaned his gun.
He’s accused of telling his wife: “If you keep up this thing is going to go off on you,” 6ABC reported, adding that Hanks is then accused of telling his wife “if she did not shut and leave him alone that he was going to ‘plug’ her.”
He then shot her, the television station reported, and subsequently shot his daughter when she “went into a rage” over the first shooting, the television station reported.
Hanks is accused of telling police he “best of the best” at shooting firearms and has been in competitions, 6ABC reported.
The Philadephia Inquirer reported that the argument stemmed from Hanks’ wife telling him he “doesn’t do anything and just sits in his chair” and “refuses to eat the food she prepares for him.”
Hanks denied intentionally shooting his wife and said his daughter ran at him with a “vengeance” after the first shooting, the Inquirer reported, also citing the affidavit. Both women were shot in the chest, the newspaper reported.
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