Michigan radio journalist Jim Matthews has been killed in a suspected murder and attempted suicide at his home that left his girlfriend and two children, as well as the suspect, hospitalized.
The tragic death of the 57-year-old, who worked as an overnight news anchor for Detroit AM station WWJ Newsradio 950, was reported by his colleagues on the air Sept. 23, soon after the attack.
“We are updating our top story this afternoon, and it’s one that’s hitting home for us here at WWJ and it’s very difficult to report,” his colleagues said in their report. “Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township. As you heard, Jim’s girlfriend and two children are currently hospitalized.”
Director of Public Safety Brian Bassett said a 911 call came in at around noon that day about a 35-year-old woman who had escaped from a home with stab wounds, with her 5-year-old daughter, who was also injured, WWJ reported. First responders treated them and officers entered the house, where they found Matthews dead and the woman’s 10-year-old son tied up in a closet, suffering from blunt force trauma. The boy was hospitalized and remains in critical condition, Bassett said.
