In a tragic event that unfolded in an Astoria, Queens apartment, 38-year-old Saskia Shields was found dead on July 30, 2018. The grim discovery was made after neighbors reported hearing gunshots. Inside the first-floor apartment at 23-07 30th Drive, police found a scene of a horrific murder-suicide.
Saskia Shields was one of four individuals found deceased, all with gunshot wounds. The perpetrator was identified as her 39-year-old husband, James Shields.
In addition to his wife, he also fatally shot his 47-year-old ex-wife, Linda Olthof, and his six-year-old son, James Shields Jr., before taking his own life. James Shields was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a slash wound to his throat; a semi-automatic handgun was found near his body.
The motive behind the killings appeared to be a contentious custody battle between James Shields and his ex-wife, Linda Olthof, who resided in the Netherlands with their son. Olthof and her son were in New York for a court-ordered visit with Shields. Friends and family of Olthof had expressed concerns about her and her son's safety with Shields, citing his anger management issues. Investigators believe Shields became enraged upon learning that Olthof planned to return to the Netherlands with their son.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, James Shields had launched a GoFundMe campaign, seeking to raise money for his custody fight and expressing his distress over the situation. A note was also found at the scene, though its contents were not made public. Police recovered two firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition from the apartment. The case was determined to be a triple murder-suicide, and no arrests were made as the suspect was also deceased.
