Dad who killed son during court-ordered visitation "unofficially" identified (Greece, New York)

The father who murdered his 7-year-old son during court-ordered visitation has not been "officially" identified, but he is now "unofficially" identified as MARK RESCH. Once again, please note that this father was granted visitation DESPITE the fact that the mother had received two orders of protection. We will be following up on this case, you can be sure.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100213/NEWS01/100213002/1002/NEWS/Father--young-son-found-dead-in-apparent-murder-suicide-in-Greece

Father, young son found dead in apparent murder-suicide in Greece
Chad Roberts • Overnight Editor • February 13, 2010

GREECE -- Police said a 39-year-old man shot and killed his 7-year-old son and then committed suicide in a house at 491 Island Cottage Road last night.

Chief Todd Baxter of the Greece Police Department said names of the victims have not been released, pending identification by the Monroe County Medical Examiner's office.

The Greece Central School District said counseling would be offered to students. More information may be available later today.

According to Monroe County records and county and city directories, the occupant of 491 Island Cottage Road is Mark Resch. A longtime friend of Resch, Joe Bartolone of Greece, told media gathered at the scene that Resch was the person who had shot his son and then himself.

"I was home tonight, I put my son to bed, I got into bed, watched Fox News and it said 'breaking news out of Greece. Two found dead, shot, across from the Greece police on Island Cottage," Bartolone said. "And I knew immediately -- it was Mark's house."

Bartolone, who said he had been a friend of Resch since childhood, said Resch was a 1989 graduate of Greece Arcadia High School. Bartolone said that Resch had lost his job in January, where he had worked in maintenance for a private company at the Greater Rochester International Airport.

"Unfortunately, Mark took his own life and his son's," Bartolone said. "I'm heartbroken. I'm saddened that he found no other way out ... except what he did tonight."

Bartolone said that he was helping to facilitate travel plans for friends of the Resch family who live in Florida to get to Greece to provide support.

Baxter said that the child's mother, who was estranged from her husband, called 911 last evening asking police to check on the welfare of her son, who was staying with his father.

The house is located directly across Island Cottage Road from the access road leading to the Greece Police Department building.

"The wife was responding to the house at the same time we were responding," Baxter said. "She was coming from another location."

When officers arrived at the address about 7:30, they first checked the exterior, then discovered the grisly scene when they looked inside.

"Officers peered through one of the windows and they saw an apparent gunshot victim inside the location, in the living room," Baxter said. "They immediately made entry into the house to try and secure that victim. Upon entering the house, the officers found a second victim just inside the back door of the house. That victim was also apparently dead on arrival from a gunshot wound."

Baxter said that Resch picked up his son earlier Friday from the mother's residence for a scheduled visitation period. The mother had received an order of protection against her husband on Jan. 25, and at that time, weapons had been cleared from the Island Cottage Road address by police, Baxter said. A second order was issued on Feb. 8.

Baxter said that yesterday evening, the boy's mother became concerned with his welfare after speaking to the Resch on the phone.

"She called from an area on Ridge Road," Baxter said. "She got worried about her son based on conversations she was having with the male at the house. So she was starting to respond here. While she was responding, she also called 911 and asked us to go check on the welfare of the child. The officers beat her to the scene and were just doing the preliminary check on the exterior of the house when she arrived."

Baxter, who is in his first week as chief of police in Greece following a long career with the Rochester Police Department, said the situation was a difficult one for everybody involved.

"It is very traumatic on the family, the family is extremely distraught, both sides of the family," Baxter said. "The officers are quite upset, the ones that had to go inside and see the child in that condition. It is a very traumatic situation."

Baxter said that Resch had left at least one note inside the house that referred to Friday's shootings.

Baxter said the weapon used in the shootings appeared to be a shotgun.