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Neighbors Concerned After Kennedy Twp. Man Found Dead Inside Home

KENNEDY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - An elderly man was found dead in his Kennedy Township home Tuesday afternoon. News spread quickly and neighbors are disturbed by the death of 81-year-old Thomas Nicholson.

Nicholson was found in bed at his Fairhaven Road home, where he lived alone. His hands and feet were bound.

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, the cause of death is physical assault, ligature restraint and chemical burns. The manner of death is homicide.

"It is under suspicious circumstances. That's all we have at this time," Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffat said.

Allegheny County Police say they believe Nicholson was the target of a robbery.

Several neighbors say the man inherited money after his wife died several years ago.

The woman who called 911 would often spend time with Nicholson. She said she would take him to the cemetery to visit his wife's gravesite. She also said he enjoyed the company of a few of his neighbors.

Dane Letcher said Nicholson was not in the best of health.

"He went to get his mail over there and he couldn't walk down the driveway. He would get in his car and back down to the mailbox because he was in such bad shape," Letcher said.

Police have not revealed what, if anything, was taken from the home. The last time Nicholson was seen alive was early Monday morning.

His body was discovered Tuesday afternoon and detectives are trying to find out what happened in that timeframe.

Meanwhile, Letcher said several people had access to Nicholson's home.

"People would come and cut his grass, I believe with his own lawnmower, a guy would come and cut his grass. And from time to time, I guess he might have a house cleaner come in and there would be people in and out from time to time," Letcher said.

A neighbor who only wants to be called Janet says she hasn't slept and has been crying since learning of her neighbor's murder.

"I don't know who it is and if he is going to come back to the neighborhood," she said. "I can't see why somebody has to murder an old man."

Nicholson had lived along in the ranch-style home since the passing of his wife.

"I do understand from one of the neighbors that he would tell a lot of people that when his wife died with cancer a few years ago that she left him a lot of money, and I heard this from a neighbor, he said he would brag about money and didn't know what he was going to do with all of it. So, he thinks it's somebody this man knows," said Janet.

The police chief in Kennedy Township is not commenting at this time. Also, the Allegheny County Police, who are continuing the investigation, have not released any further details.

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