Police say husband, wife killed in apparent murder-suicide in Islip

Police were called to the scene at around 6:30 a.m. after town garbage collectors discovered a body on the driveway of the home.

Jonathan Gordon and Krista McNally

Feb 20, 2025, 4:23 PM

Updated 18 hr ago

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Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating an apparent murder-suicide in a quiet neighborhood in Islip.
Police say 73-year-old tugboat captain William Clifford allegedly shot and killed his wife, 68-year-old Eileen Clifford in their home before police say he killed himself in the front yard.
Officials said Islip town garbage collectors were on their normal route when they noticed a male body laying flat on the driveway outside 4 Parsons Landing around 6:30 a.m.
"The garbage driver was trained in CPR. He examined the body, determined they were beyond help and called 911," Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad Detective Lt. Kevin Beyrer said.
Officers from the 3rd Precinct discovered a male victim with a gunshot wound and a gun at his feet outside. They found a female victim, also dead, from a gunshot wound inside the home.