Pa. man charged in deaths of Iowa rep's sisters
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh man charged with robbing and killing two sisters of an Iowa state lawmaker turned himself in at police headquarters Wednesday.
Allen Darell Wade, 43, was wanted on numerous charges including criminal homicide, robbery, theft, and a firearms violation in the slayings of Susan Wolfe and Sarah Wolfe, his former neighbors.
The two sisters of Rep. Mary Wolfe, of Clinton, Iowa, were found dead Feb. 7 after police were called to their residence when they didn't show up for work. Both women were found in the basement of the home they shared; each was shot once in the head, police say.
Sarah Wolfe, 38, was a psychiatrist for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Susan Wolfe, 44, was a teacher's aide at Hillel Academy in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
Wade had been questioned by police late last month but released. He denied wrongdoing at the time.
Police Lt. Kevin Kraus said Wade vacated the home next door to the Wolfes' residence and police were searching for him Wednesday before he turned himself in. They provided no other details on his surrender.
In a statement, the Iowa lawmaker said she was grateful for the Pittsburgh Police Department's efforts.
"I'm extremely appreciative of the hard work and dedication of the Pittsburgh law enforcement community and of the unwavering support my family and I have received," she said.
In a criminal complaint, authorities allege Wade attacked Susan Wolfe when she was home alone. Her body was found naked and doused with bleach and liquid detergent. The complaint alleges Wade then killed Sarah Wolfe when she returned from work later that night. She was found clothed but with a blanket over her head. Her purse had been emptied.
Police said items belonging to the sisters — identification cards, credit and bank cards, keys and cellphones — were missing. Police haven't commented on a motive for the killings.
Police used surveillance video and alarm company records to reconstruct when doors at their residence were opened and closed, where the sisters had been before they were found, and Wade's whereabouts after the slayings.
Police said Wade's DNA was found on sweatpants seen on a suspect caught on video near a muffler shop. Police also found DNA from a male and from a female under Susan Wolfe's fingernails, and say Wade couldn't be excluded "as a contributor to this mixture."
Other surveillance video showed Wade throwing something in a garbage can, where detectives found a pen with "Iowa" on it, police said. Federal firearms records show Wade has bought eight handguns since 1997. Police haven't discussed the type of gun used to kill the sisters.
