Killing Of 'Town's Matriarch' Has Investigators Stumped

The death of North Salem, NY’s Lois Colley, 83, has stumped investigators since Monday evening, Nov. 9, when her body was found in a laundry room of her sprawling 300-acre estate, bought from the proceeds of 100 McDonald’s franchises. Now a reward is being offered for information about the killing.

New York State Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information ”that directly leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible” for her death. “Initial investigation revealed that Ms. Colley was the apparent victim of a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma,” the site states.

Clues into the crime are few, reports The New York Times. New York State Police are looking at a string of recent burglaries in neighboring Ridgefield, Conn., in area only about two miles away from the Colley estate, which is named Windswept Farm. A fire extinguisher is missing from the home, and small amount of foam was discovered near the body.

Her husband, Eugene Colley, 88, the multimillionaire owner of the 100 McDonald’s franchises, was interviewed by authorities. They quickly announced that he was not a suspect, though WCBS-TV reports that state police do not know his exact whereabouts at the moment.

Besides the nearby burglaries, state police say they are looking at a number of different angles in connection to the murder, but they have not disclosed what those are.

“We’re looking at all avenues at this point,” State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra told the Times. “That’s one avenue [the Ridgefield burglaries], but at this time we don’t believe there’s a connection.”

Neighbors and friends of the Colleys - who were very active in fox hunting circles in the area - remember her for her “common touch” despite her wealth.

“She was always very engaging and really kind of a matriarch of the town,” neighbor John Kolb told the Times. “She was a very sweet lady.”

Added Linda Salinger, who served as a president of the Brewster-Carmel Garden Club, “She was just so down to earth. She was generous, and she was just gentle, very gentle.”

Click here to read the full story on The New York Times website.

Photo 1: Screen capture of Lois and Eugene Colley from WCBS-TV; Photo 2: New York State Police conducting a grid search for clues on the Colley estate. Photo credit: NYS Police