Duane Stoltzfus, Record Staff Writer
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-14-1992
HUSBAND CHARGED IN WIFE'S KILLING -- GOES TO POLICE AFTER SHOOTING
By Duane Stoltzfus, Record Staff Writer
Date: 01-14-1992, Tuesday
Section: NEWS
Edition: 5 Star, Also in 3 Star, 2 Star, 1 Star
While their three children were in school Monday morning, a
43-year-old Moonachie truck driver killed his wife at home with a single
shotgun blast to the face, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office charged
later Monday.
Prosecutors arrested Paul Burghardt inside the Moonachie Police
Department on charges of killing his 38-year-old wife, Virginia, a
homemaker. They have three children, ages 9 to 14.
Prosecutor John J. Fahy said the couple had an argument in their
home in the morning. Afterward, Virginia Burghardt sat down in the
family's enclosed porch. Her husband then picked up a 12-gauge shotgun
and fired once, authorities charged.
Burghardt apparently then walked from the home at 17 Ramella Ave.
to the police station, where he reported the shooting. The family's back
yard is only a hundred yards or so from the Moonachie municipal complex.
Police arrived to find Virginia Burghardt dead.
At an arraignment before Judge Bruce A. Gaeta in Superior Court in
Hackensack, Burghardt spoke in a whisper and kept his eyes downcast.
Burghardt, whom authorities said had been receiving psychiatric
treatment, then was sent to Bergen County Jail on $1 million bail.
Fahy said the couple's dispute remained a mystery. Authorities were
unaware of any prior violence in the home. 'There was no indication they
were anything other than a happy couple,' he said.
The children were in school at the time of the shooting. Relatives
will care for them, Fahy said. The daughter, 14, attends Wood-Ridge High
School. The sons, 12 and 9, attend Robert L. Craig School in Moonachie.
Authorities asked for $1 million bail in part because of
Burghardt's resources. The couple owns two adjacent homes in town and
has additional savings.
Burghardt, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, has
been a truck driver for 22 years with Greenwich Mills Co. in Secaucus.
The company roasts, packages, and delivers coffee. He is also a
volunteer firefighter.
When reached at her Moonachie home, Helen Burghardt, Paul's mother,
said little. 'I'm too upset to talk,' she said. 'I don't know what
happened. He was a good, shy, nice boy. That's all I can tell you.'
Virginia Burghardt's family lives in Little Ferry.
Addie Testa, who lived across the street from the Burghardts, said
Virginia Burghardt was always on the move, shuttling the children to
school and sporting events.
'She was a good neighbor,' Testa said. 'She was always there when I
needed her. She would sometimes drive my daughter to school for me. I
don't know if this has hit me yet. I can't believe this happened. I just
can't.'
The couple had been married for 17 years, all the while living in
Moonachie. On Monday afternoon, police were guarding the house. A
bicycle in the driveway leaned against the building.
Frank Migliorino, an attorney from Moonachie, said he and Paul
Burghardt attended grammar school together and later played on the same
high school baseball team.
'He's always been a wonderful family man,' Migliorino said. 'She
was a superlative mother. This is something no one can figure out. The
whole town is in shock.'
Moonachie Administrator Paul Hansen said he and other officials met
with staff members from Craig School and from South Bergen Mental Health
Center on Monday to search for ways to help people cope with the
shooting.
Hansen said teachers spoke with students in their classrooms about
what happened, and notes were being sent home to parents.
Hansen said counselors are available both for students and parents.
Interested people can call the center at 935-3322 or a Bergen County hot
line at 262-HELP. A meeting for parents was scheduled for tonight at the
school.
'Everybody is so upset,' Hansen said. 'This is a small community. A
lot of people knew the family.'
Keywords: MOONACHIE. FAMILY. MURDER
Copyright 1992 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-14-1992
HUSBAND CHARGED IN WIFE'S KILLING -- GOES TO POLICE AFTER SHOOTING
By Duane Stoltzfus, Record Staff Writer
Date: 01-14-1992, Tuesday
Section: NEWS
Edition: 5 Star, Also in 3 Star, 2 Star, 1 Star
While their three children were in school Monday morning, a
43-year-old Moonachie truck driver killed his wife at home with a single
shotgun blast to the face, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office charged
later Monday.
Prosecutors arrested Paul Burghardt inside the Moonachie Police
Department on charges of killing his 38-year-old wife, Virginia, a
homemaker. They have three children, ages 9 to 14.
Prosecutor John J. Fahy said the couple had an argument in their
home in the morning. Afterward, Virginia Burghardt sat down in the
family's enclosed porch. Her husband then picked up a 12-gauge shotgun
and fired once, authorities charged.
Burghardt apparently then walked from the home at 17 Ramella Ave.
to the police station, where he reported the shooting. The family's back
yard is only a hundred yards or so from the Moonachie municipal complex.
Police arrived to find Virginia Burghardt dead.
At an arraignment before Judge Bruce A. Gaeta in Superior Court in
Hackensack, Burghardt spoke in a whisper and kept his eyes downcast.
Burghardt, whom authorities said had been receiving psychiatric
treatment, then was sent to Bergen County Jail on $1 million bail.
Fahy said the couple's dispute remained a mystery. Authorities were
unaware of any prior violence in the home. 'There was no indication they
were anything other than a happy couple,' he said.
The children were in school at the time of the shooting. Relatives
will care for them, Fahy said. The daughter, 14, attends Wood-Ridge High
School. The sons, 12 and 9, attend Robert L. Craig School in Moonachie.
Authorities asked for $1 million bail in part because of
Burghardt's resources. The couple owns two adjacent homes in town and
has additional savings.
Burghardt, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, has
been a truck driver for 22 years with Greenwich Mills Co. in Secaucus.
The company roasts, packages, and delivers coffee. He is also a
volunteer firefighter.
When reached at her Moonachie home, Helen Burghardt, Paul's mother,
said little. 'I'm too upset to talk,' she said. 'I don't know what
happened. He was a good, shy, nice boy. That's all I can tell you.'
Virginia Burghardt's family lives in Little Ferry.
Addie Testa, who lived across the street from the Burghardts, said
Virginia Burghardt was always on the move, shuttling the children to
school and sporting events.
'She was a good neighbor,' Testa said. 'She was always there when I
needed her. She would sometimes drive my daughter to school for me. I
don't know if this has hit me yet. I can't believe this happened. I just
can't.'
The couple had been married for 17 years, all the while living in
Moonachie. On Monday afternoon, police were guarding the house. A
bicycle in the driveway leaned against the building.
Frank Migliorino, an attorney from Moonachie, said he and Paul
Burghardt attended grammar school together and later played on the same
high school baseball team.
'He's always been a wonderful family man,' Migliorino said. 'She
was a superlative mother. This is something no one can figure out. The
whole town is in shock.'
Moonachie Administrator Paul Hansen said he and other officials met
with staff members from Craig School and from South Bergen Mental Health
Center on Monday to search for ways to help people cope with the
shooting.
Hansen said teachers spoke with students in their classrooms about
what happened, and notes were being sent home to parents.
Hansen said counselors are available both for students and parents.
Interested people can call the center at 935-3322 or a Bergen County hot
line at 262-HELP. A meeting for parents was scheduled for tonight at the
school.
'Everybody is so upset,' Hansen said. 'This is a small community. A
lot of people knew the family.'
Keywords: MOONACHIE. FAMILY. MURDER
Copyright 1992 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
