By Monica Pryts
GREENVILLE — Thomas Lorigan’s family and friends are remembering the slain Greene Township man today with a celebration of life service in Greenville and it’s clear his loved ones are devastated over his tragic death.
Lorigan, 44, of 183 Ray Road, has a MySpace page that’s filling up with messages and tributes in his memory. One message from his daughter, Rachel, says, “I love you Daddy! I miss you so much! I will never forget you, the greatest man alive!”
The message ends by saying, “Please watch over Heather!” Heather Turk, 22, Lorigan’s other daughter, was with her father early Tuesday when they were attacked with knives upon returning to Ms. Turk’s home at 94 Clinton St., Apartment 103, after a trip to the grocery store.
They were stabbed in the head by alleged murderers and Ms. Turk’s former roommates Ronald Victor Machado and Krystle S. Weaver, according to court documents.
Lorigan was pronounced dead in the home at 1:34 a.m. Ms. Turk remains hospitalized in an undisclosed location in stable but critical condition, Mercer County District Attorney Robert G. Kochems said Friday afternoon.
Lorigan’s MySpace page, last updated April 28, also says he’s the proud parent of two beautiful daughters and two granddaughters.
Ms. Turk’s children, about 1 and 2 years old, were with Lorigan and Ms. Turk at the time of the attack but were unharmed and taken into protective custody by Mercer County Children and Youth Services, authorities said.
Rachel Lorigan’s posting on her father’s Web site also makes a reference to putting Machado and Ms. Weaver in jail for life.
Machado, 21, of James-town, and Ms. Weaver, 20, of Fowler, Ohio, were charged Thursday by Greenville-West Salem Township police with homicide, attempted homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and burglary.
They are being held in Trumbull County Jail and are awaiting extradition to Mercer County for arraignments before District Judge William L. Fagley, Greenville.
An arraignment date wasn’t set as of Friday afternoon but it’s likely to happen within the next week, said a spokesman with the Mercer County Sheriff’s office, which will transport Machado and Ms. Weaver.
Once they’re arraigned, a preliminary hearing will be scheduled within 10 days, Kochems said. A murder conviction in Pennsylvania carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Kochems said in a past murder case.
Ms. Weaver also has a MySpace page in which she calls herself Mrs. Machado. It was last updated March 8 and it’s full of photos of herself and Machado and references to their upcoming marriage.
A possible motive for the slaying that authorities are investigating is Ms. Turk and Machado being involved with each other, Kochems said Thursday, adding that Machado and Ms. Weaver are telling different sides to the story.
Ms. Weaver’s Web site says Machado means the world to her and they’re enjoying life one day at a time. It also says, “Life is way too short to take anything for granted anymore” and “I try to always have a smile on my face when I can, but lately it seems like everyone is trying to bring me down.”
Under the section of messages from Ms. Weaver’s friends, one poster whose photo and ID match Rachel Lorigan’s post on her father’s Web site thanks Ms. Weaver for helping Rachel’s sister and that Rachel is glad Heather has good friends like Ms. Weaver and Machado.
Court documents show that Machado told police he and Ms. Weaver had discussed over the weekend about killing Ms. Turk and decided to go to her apartment and rob her.
They went to the apartment late Monday night to find no one home and stole a television and Ms. Turk’s purse that contained $440 and her children’s identification, the documents say.
Machado and Ms. Weaver waited for Ms. Turk to get home and even unscrewed some light bulbs to darken the first floor, according to the documents. They fled in Ms. Weaver’s car after the attack, throwing away the knives, and later confessed to police that they stabbed the father and daughter, the documents state.
Anyone with information about the crime should call Greenville-West Salem police at 724-588-4191.
