Patrick Lynch, 42, threw his two children from a five-storey carpark in Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, before jumping to his own death, in an incident authorities have ruled a murder-suicide. His son James, eight, and daughter Caroline, six, were found dead at the foot of the building alongside their father.
All three family members died from multiple blunt force injuries, officials stated. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Patrick Lynch’s cause of death, and the following day stated that Caroline and James had also been killed by blunt force trauma. The children’s deaths have been deemed homicides by authorities, and the incident has been described as “not an accident”.
Deaths ruled homicides and suicide
James was pronounced dead at 4:35pm on Tuesday, only one minute after his sister. The deaths of the three family members occurred on Tuesday, and authorities have ruled the incident a murder-suicide.
The children’s mother, Anna Lynch, has defended her husband despite the tragedy. In a now-deleted social media post published by the Daily Voice, she wrote: “My husband made the irreversible decision to kill our two children and himself this evening.”
Mother speaks of husband's mental health
Anna Lynch reportedly wrote on Facebook that her husband’s mental health had spiralled after he lost his job three months ago. She stated: “He was laid off in August and shortly after became depressed. I suggested he to go to a therapist [sic], which he agreed to go to and had an appointment booked for 11/4. One day too late. I never thought this is how our story would end.”
Patrick Lynch studied math and economics at Dartmouth College and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon. According to his LinkedIn, he most recently worked as a data scientist for the New Jersey-based technology company Slice, with his profile suggesting he was employed there from February 2022 to August 2026. The company has not responded to inquiries surrounding Lynch’s departure.
Fundraiser launched for family
An online fundraiser has been launched to help the children’s mother bury her family members and has raised more than $210,000 (£157,000). The bio on the GoFundMe page reads: “No mother should ever have to experience this kind of pain. Especially Anna, who devoted her life to her family and to the community. To know her is to love her.”
