Frank Columbo, a 43-year-old white male, was brutally murdered on May 7, 1976, in Elk Grove, Illinois. The tragic incident also claimed the lives of his wife, Mary Columbo, aged 41, and their 13-year-old son, Michael Columbo. The family was found dead in their home, with Frank and Mary having been shot, while Michael was bludgeoned with a bowling trophy and stabbed nearly 100 times with scissors. The gruesome nature of the murders shocked the local community and led to an intensive investigation by the Elk Grove Village police.
The investigation quickly focused on Patricia Columbo, the 19-year-old daughter of Frank and Mary, and her 39-year-old boyfriend, Frank DeLuca. Patricia had left her family home two years earlier to live with DeLuca, a married man with whom she had an unusual and controversial relationship. The couple's motive for the murders was to inherit the family estate, although they were unaware that Patricia had been written out of her parents' wills years earlier.
Patricia and DeLuca were arrested ten days after the murders. During the investigation, it was revealed that DeLuca had been seen washing and burning bloodstained clothes the day after the murders, and he had threatened his employees to keep them silent. Additionally, while in jail, DeLuca attempted to have witnesses killed by a cellmate, but the plan was thwarted by another inmate who informed the police.
Both Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca were convicted of the murders and sentenced to 200 to 300 years in prison for each of the three counts of murder. They also received additional sentences for conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. The case remains a notorious example of familial betrayal and the lengths to which individuals will go for financial gain.
