Family, Friends Bid Final Farewell To Harrison Sisters Killed By Father In Murder-Suicide
HARRISON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A funeral was held in Harrison for two teenage sisters killed by their father in a murder-suicide.
Family and friends gathered Friday morning at St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church to remember Alissa Hochman, 18, and sister Deanna, 13.
Their father, 52-year-old Glen Hochman, shot and killed the girls as they slept on Saturday before taking his own life, authorities said. His wife and their eldest daughter were not at home at the time of the killings.
Funeral To Be Held For Harrison Sisters Killed By Father In Apparent Murder-Suicide
First responders lined the steps of the church in an emotional salute to the sisters as their caskets were carried inside. Many mourners wore green and red ribbons in a show of love and support for the Hochman family.
As CBS2's Steve Langford reported, Father Christopher Monturo said everyone in the community is asking the question, "Why?"
"It's a good question, but it can be a very frustrating question because it's a question to which we may not have any answers," Monturo said.
The girls' great uncle, Emil Giliotti, described the sisters as "angels touched by God."
"This is a horrific event," Giliotti said. "Every parent that has a child can appreciate what this family is going through. We are shaken to the core, but we are believers. We believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We pray to God he'll get us through this."
Giliotti said they're still looking for answers.
"We're working on just numerous amount of issues and I know the press wants a lot of answers hopefully in the next week we will be able to give you a lot of answers but in this time please it is our children here, it is our children that we are burying so it's very hard," Giliotti said.
When asked if there would be any mention of the girls' father at their funeral, Giliotti answered with an emphatic "no," CBS2's Steve Langford reported.
Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marracini said the killings were premeditated, but impossible to understand.
"I'm not sure that anybody can even understand how a person kills his children, that's something that's not comprehensible to me," Marracini said earlier this week.
Hundreds attended a wake for the sisters Thursday.
Alissa was a cheerleader and a big New York Rangers fan. Her younger sister was a cheerleading captain who spent a lot of her time playing Xbox.
A GoFundMe page set up by the Harrison EMS, where Alissa volunteered, has raised nearly $100,000 for the girls' mother and their surviving sister, Samantha.
No details have been released as to when and where Glen Hochman will be laid to rest. He served in the White Plains Police Department for 22 years before retiring in January.
