Father and son charged with life insurance homicide

“This is a case you almost couldn’t make up,” comments District Attorney…

In what is alleged to be another life insurance fraud scheme, a father and son have now been charged with murdering a man who was their brother and uncle respectively.

According to Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, Edward R Kirby, 59, and his son Edward A Kirby, 34, worked together to deliver methadone pills to family member George Kirby who was housebound and ill at home in Frankford. He later died, aged 64, from methadone intoxication.
Now the two men have been arrested.

Speaking at a news conference, Williams commented: “This is a case you almost couldn’t make up, like a bad film noir movie of the 1950s.”

According to a report at Philly.com, the son of the victim contacted a police office after overhearing a plot between the father and son. He said that the conversation included the younger Kirby’s words: “Go down there and kill him. Make it look like an accident. Just put a pillow over him and smother him.”

The father then responded that it wasn’t so easy… only for the younger Kirby to say “the quicker you do this, the quicker we get the money.”

Apparently the victim, George Kirby, was informed of the plans but didn’t take them seriously.

According to reports the pair had taken out 10 life insurance policies on their brother/uncle, with values typically ranging from $15,000-$30,000. With such low payouts, the insurers would not ask the man to come for a medical examination.

Now the two men have been charged with conspiracy, homicide, forgery and other related offences.

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