An Astoria baby has been left an orphan after an apparent murder-suicide.
According to multiple media reports, Mary Kate Golding, 34, was murdered by her husband, Joseph Azzaretto, who then hanged himself from a tree in Astoria Park.
Police publicly reported the killing of Golding, saying that about 12:24 a.m. on Tuesday, they responded to a 911 call reporting an assault at 18-64 41 St. Upon arrival they found Golding with a stab wound to her back. Emergency Medical Services pronounced her dead at the scene.
Also present, unharmed, was her baby, an 11-month-old boy, a police spokesperson told the Chronicle. The New York Post reported the baby’s name as Nolan.
Several hours later, police found a man dead in Astoria Park. Media reports say he was Golding’s husband. The NYPD spokesperson could not confirm his name, pending proper family notification, his age or his exact relationship with Golding, but said the two deaths are connected, and that there is “some type of domestic relationship” between the deceased persons.
“We’re still trying to connect the dots,” the spokesperson said.
Golding was an assistant set decorator for movies and TV shows and, the Post said, studied at New York University. She and Azzaretto both had Instagram pages, which are set to private. News outlets and social media posters used photos from the pages for stories on the case. Neighbors told the Post he appeared to be violent.