In the quiet, affluent town of Andover, Massachusetts, the peace was shattered in the days leading up to Christmas of 2011. Geraldine “Geri” Magee, a 67-year-old White female, and her husband, John “Jack” Magee, 69, were found dead in their sprawling home on Orchard Crossing on the morning of December 14th. The grim discovery was made by their daughter, Holly, who had arrived with her children for a planned day of babysitting while she went Christmas shopping.
The scene that
confronted investigators was one of calculated violence. Geri and Jack had been shot execution-style in their living room. Their hands were bound, and they had been shot at close range with a. 45-caliber firearm. There were no signs of forced entry into the home, suggesting the couple may have known their killer or killers. The house was not ransacked, and robbery did not appear to be a motive. The television was reportedly still on when their bodies were found.
The evening before the discovery, on December 13th, the couple's black Lexus SUV was found engulfed in flames in Boston's North End, a location with historical ties to organized crime. This led to early speculation that the murders could have been a professional, mob-style hit. Investigators believe the burning of the vehicle may have been an attempt to destroy evidence and possibly to mislead the investigation by pointing towards a mob connection, though no definitive links between the Magees and organized crime have been established. John Magee was a successful real estate developer, and while his business dealings were thoroughly examined, no clear motive for the killings emerged from his professional life.
Despite an extensive and ongoing investigation by the Essex County District Attorney's Office, Andover Police, and Massachusetts State Police, no arrests have ever been made in the double homicide of Geri and John Magee. The case has grown cold over the years, leaving their family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. Authorities have periodically renewed public appeals for information, and in 2024, they released a very general description of a person of interest: a male of average height and build who was seen walking away from the burning SUV. However, this has not yet led to a breakthrough in the case, and the identity of the person or persons responsible for the brutal slayings remains a mystery.
