Developer John Magee and His Wife Murdered In Andover

One of two people shot and killed in Andover this morning was a real estate developer who was once involved in a well-publicized land dispute in Tewksbury.

According to a published report on Andover Patch, Andover Police Chief Brian Pattullo said a call came in from 7 Orchard Crossing at 9:18 a.m. When police arrived, they found the bodies of two people -- a man and a woman -- in a room on the first floor. The home is owned by John and Geraldine Magee, who operate Advance Realty Co., out of the home. The couple developed the Orchard Crossing neighborhood.

They also owned Magee Construction Company in Arlington, according to the Boston Business Journal.

The Lowell Sun reported that Magee was involved in a dispute over ownership of 17 acres of land located in the Tewksbury section of the Tri-Town Development District near I-93.

According to the Sun report, Magee battled town officials, as well as the former Mills Corp., which had hoped to develop the property. Magee claimed that the title documents on the land incorrectly listed the owners of the property as the Perkins family.

After two years of negotiations, the Perkins family paid Magee for the right s to the 17 acres, and then sold their entire parcel to the Simon Property Group in 2007. Simon had planned to build a regional mall at the site but the plans for the property is up in the air.

According to Andover Patch, Andover and State Police are on the scene and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office are investigating.

Police were earlier searching for a 2008 black Lexus with the license plate 838505 that may be involved with the crime, but the "be on the lookout" was canceled. The car belonged to the Magees.