The home in Elma, New York where Frank Litterio allegedly shot his longtime girlfriend in the face, chest and abdomen with a crossbow fatally killing her. Photo YouTube screengrab from Buffalo NBC affiliate WGRZ.
A 61-year-old man who shot his girlfriend of 15 years in the face, abdomen and chest with a crossbow that allegedly required him to load the arrows one at a time, is facing murder charges in New York.
Frank Litterio, 61, of Elma, was arraigned late last week on one count of murder in the second degree, according to a statement from Erie County District Attorney John Flynn obtained by Law&Crime. Prosecutors say Litterio shot his girlfriend, Jill Harris, 62, inside the living room of the home they shared around 5 p.m. on Dec. 13.
Erie County undersheriff Bill Cooley said at a press conference that when police arrived at the home, they discovered that Litterio had “self-inflicted wounds” including a laceration to his neck, multiple puncture wounds to his chest and injuries to his wrist, Buffalo NBC affiliate WGRZ reported.
Cooley said all of the man’s wounds were “superficial” except for one but would not elaborate. The district attorney also would not speculate whether Litterio had tried to kill himself, noting an investigation is still underway.
Police also said it seemed Harris had been “dead for awhile” when Erie County officers showed up at the Elma home, though it was unclear for how long.
Details about the slaying were limited though Flynn did disclose during last week’s press conference that it was Litterio’s sister who called police out of an abundance of concern for her brother and asked the Erie County Sheriff’s Office to do a wellness check on him.
It is unclear whether there was an argument between the couple but authorities alleged Litterio acted with purpose.
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“When you consider what it takes to load and fire a crossbow, there’s a process to it so this was clearly deliberate action,” Cooley noted.
Flynn said the crossbow didn’t fire “Robin Hood arrows.”
“It’s a pretty powerful weapon,” the district attorney remarked.
Officials said they had never seen a murder case involving a crossbow in their community and Flynn assured reporters that he “does not need a motive” to bring a case to trial.
After Litterio was arrested, police escorted him to an area medical center to treat his wounds where he remains as of Wednesday.
At his arraignment this week, Litterio’s defense counsel waived time on the case, district attorney Flynn said, noting that typically, a felon must appear in court within six days after being held without bail. After his treatment, he will be immediately transferred to a detention center and then he will appear in court next on Jan. 29.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately return a request seeking Litterio’s booking photo and it is unclear if he has had one taken since he was immediately transferred to a medical center.
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