A New York State Parole Officer killed his estranged wife and her boyfriend in his Palenville house on Sunday, August 10, and then led police on a multi-county car chase before killing himself, according to a New York State Police press release issued today.
Forty-six-year-old Robert Mroczek lived at 844 Pennsylvania Ave. in Palenville, a sleepy Catskills hamlet where a SWAT team and a helicopter descended yesterday afternoon.
Mroczek's wife, 49-year-old Pammi Mroczek, once lived at the address as well. Yesterday, Pammi Mroczek was at the Pennsylvania Ave. house with a boyfriend, 51-year-old Daniel Brennan of Schenectady.
Robert Mroczek encountered Pammi Mroczek and Brennan at the house and shot and killed them both, according to the press release.
A 911 call about gunshots fired was received by Greene County 911 at 12:45 p.m.
Brennan was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds by first responders in the driveway. The State Police Special Operations Response team was called to the scene, and eventually entered and found Pammi Mroczek inside, also killed by gunshots.
Mroczek apparently fled the scene just after he shot Pammi Mroczek and Brennan. State Police spotted his car last night driving on I-81 through the town of Chenango, in Broome County, 120 miles from the scene of the crime.
A car chase began and continued into the town of Cortlandville in Cortland county, where police used stop sticks to drive Mroczek's car off the road. According to WBNG 12, the chase topped speeds of 150 miles per hour and ended at 1:30 a.m.
When police reached the car, Mroczek was inside, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Read the full text of the State Police press release, below:
On Sunday, August 11, 2014, State Police at Catskill responded to a report of gunshots being fired at 844 Pennsylvania Ave., Palenville, N.Y. Responding patrols arrived to discover Daniel Brennan, age 51 of Schenectady, N.Y. deceased from multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway of the residence. It was subsequently determined that Brennan was the boyfriend of Pammi Mroczek, age 49 who previously lived at the residence with her now estranged husband, Robert Mroczek, age 46. The State Police Special Operations Response team subsequently gained entry to the residence and discovered Pammi Mroczek deceased within, also the victim of gunshot wounds.
The investigation revealed that Robert Mroczek, a New York State Parole Officer, had encountered the two victims at the residence, shot them both and fled. Information was disseminated and as a result, Mroczek was observed by State Police operating one of his vehicles on St 81 in the Town of Chenango, Broome County. Upon attempting to stop Mroczek, he fled. A vehicle pursuit involving The State Police at Kirkwood and Homer which proceeded into the Town of Cortlandville, Cortland County. The pursuit ultimately ended with the deployment of stop sticks causing Mroczek’s vehicle to travel off the east shoulder of the roadway. Mroczek was pronounced deceased at the scene from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was transported to Lourdes Hospital for an autopsy to be conducted later today. State Police at Catskill were assisted by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, The Greene County District Attorney’s Office and The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
