Couple Celebrating 50th Wedding Anniversary Is Stabbed to Death — and Killer Remains at Large

An elderly couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary were stabbed in their Newton, Mass., home Sunday morning, along with another elderly relative, say police.

“This would be tragic on any day,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a press conference Sunday night. “To have family gathered for this kind of a celebration makes it particularly tragic.”

The other resident was identified by the family's church as the mother of either the husband or wife, 10 Boston reported. 

The triple homicide appears to be random based on signs of forced entry, Ryan said. 

“I am very concerned with such a violent crime taking place,” Newton Chief of Police John Carmichael said at the press conference, adding that extra officers would be deployed in the area and that the suspect or suspects remained at large.

He added: “We won’t rest until we find out who did this and we find justice for the victims involved.”

The murdered couple had been expected to attend church, Ryan said, noting that someone who knew the couple found the three relatives dead from apparent stabbings and blunt force trauma and called police just before 10:15 a.m. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

About half a mile away, another home reported an attempted break-in, which occurred around 5:45 Sunday morning, Ryan said. Law enforcement is investigating the timeline of incidents and trying to determine if they are connected.

Ryan urged residents to check any personal security footage that could identify the suspect or suspects, who are still at large. “We really need the public’s help in respect to this incident,” she said. 

“We are asking people to remain vigilant,” she added. “This is the night to lock your doors and windows even if you don’t normally do that.”