Anne Morell Petrillo: Daughter Of Anne Scripps Douglas, Murdered Newspaper Heiress, Believed Dead After Jumping Off Tappan Zee Bridge

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — New York state police believe the daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas jumped to her death from the same bridge her stepfather did after he killed her mother.

Police on Friday were searching the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge, around 25 miles north of Manhattan, for the body of Anne Morell Petrillo. Authorities say they found a note and believe she got out of her car on and jumped off the bridge Thursday evening.

Petrillo's mother, the great-great-granddaughter of Detroit News founder James Scripps, was beaten to death with a hammer in Anne's bedroom by her stepfather, Scott Douglas, on New Year's Eve in 1993.

Douglas fled and jumped to his death from the same bridge. His body was found three months after the slaying.

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Information from: The Journal News, http://www.thejournalnews.com

Comments

[KarateKid]

I may be wrong, but I'd swear that is NOT the Tappan Zee Bridge.

[Pansey]

Horrific story. My sympathy goes to the family she left behind. I am the daughter of a suicide victim. We suffer guilt -- always wondering -- why didn't we know our loved one was planning this?

[rising sun]

tragic.....just tragic

My thoughts are with her friends and family.

[daynage]

Next week, the old railroad bridge a few miles further up the Hudson between Poughkeepsie and Highland [you will see it when you use the Mid Hudson Bridge, its just a short distance north up the river] is scheduled to open as a bikepath/walkway. The bridge was built in the late 1800's and is the second highest bridge over the Hudson. Its reported to be just as high above the river as the GWB. Higher than the Tappanzee. I hope the people who worked hard to convert this magnificent structure, that has been unused since 1974, are prepared for the inevitable attraction this will be to those tortured individuals who feel the need to end their pain. If someone who is affiliated with this project see's this post , and would care to comment, I will be interested to know what the plan is.....if there is one.

[roshni]

This is a really badly written article. It gives no clue as to what happened or what the connection is between the people involved.

[sixyfivepercentwater]

Other family members should be kept as far away from this bridge as possible. This could be genetic.

[silvatopp]

this is not a joke!

[tfred]

When rich people jump off of bridges, it is ALWAYS a joke. One less person to scam the poor guy. No sympathy here.

[VivaZapata]

The presented facts of this suicide are grim enough, and all of the conclusions people have speculated on through these pages are reasonable, but it feels like there's more to this story than the presented facts.

[silvatopp]

I agree, something is amiss!

[roshni]

There are very few presented facts and it's a badly written story.

[biscuits-in-the-wind]

im not tryn to b morbid or nuthin, but if ppl keep killing themselves (and their families) like they have been lately, then the country's unemployment prob might get solved.

wasnt somebody helpn this lady? couldnt she afford some counseling. if not, another great reason for health care for all. i feel for her.

sometimes, we just need some good ole religion in our lives to give us something to hold on to. im serious!

[JDHART]

Religion isn't the answer to anything.

[hearken]

If you believe...it is the answer to everything. If you don't believe...it is the answer to nothing. We all have our ideas on what is real, what is fantasy, what is true and what is untrue.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Religious people never commit suicide?
Religious people never commit murder?
There hasn't been enough slaughter in the world in the name of god?

Fercrissakes.

The world has much to atone for.

[silvatopp]

easier said than done, my mother was murdered 28 years ago and I'm still suffering from severe emotional shock. Religion can help but so much; especially when the authorities are still draging their feet, and have yet to bring anyone to trial for her killing

[hotbytes]

It's a tragic story. But the angle on this is wealth does not always guarantee peace, love, happiness, and everything that has true value in this journey called life.

[GoldStarMom]

The daughter's suicide by jumping off the Tappan Zee bridge, may have been triggered by prolonged grief over the loss of her mother and the manner of her death. The fact that her stepfather killed himself, after he murdered his wife, prevented him from ever being brought to justice for his actions. With no way to confront her stepfather, she may have been unable to begin the healing process. Her choice of the same bridge her stepfather used to commit suicide from might then be viewed as a symbolic condemnation of her stepfather.

Of course, I could be completely wrong.

[silvatopp]

I don't think you are wrong I fully understand, how does one live with that thought and possibly the site of what occurred. It is mental anguish

[Alyssa10]

This story is quite devastating !!!!
Murder after suicide after suicide..

I can understand why both the step father and girl committed suicide,
the father of course couldnt live with the fact that he killed someone, i mean who can?
And the poor young girl,
who was she left with?
She had no mom or step father after all these incidents occured...
I mean if she had a step father, where was her real father ?
I believe i saw a simlar movie to this story on LIfetime.

[AfroLatina21]

Well she did have a father whom she was close to. After her mother was murdered all she had was her father, older sister and her half sister (who was the daughter of her step father).

And the movie you saw on Lifetime was probably the movie based off of her mom's murder. The name of the movie was "Our Mother's Murder".

[glorialovelace]

"And the poor young girl,
who was she left with?
She had no mom or step father after all these incidents occured..."

For one thing, she had children of her own. Or don't you think one's children count for anything?

[shel3364]

I watched the Lifetime movie "Our Mother's Murder" about this case. Very disturbing.

This family has had their share of tragedy.

[hearken]

The movie was a story about abused women...why they refuse to see what is going on and ignore all the signs of an abusive relationship.

[SpocksCuz]

Well, someone has to say it... "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

[shel3364]

WTF?

Her mother was murdered by her stepfather.

[SpocksCuz]

You know, I get miffed when I have to explain my jokes, especially when they aren't that good. To quote Foghorn Leghorn, "I keep pitching 'em and they're going over your head. You're built too low to the ground, son. You got a hole in your glove, boy."

[moonflowerjewelry]

this is just human tragedy all around, lots of suffering.

[neocon666]

This is a picture of the actual Tappan Zee Bridge:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tappan_Zee_Bridge

[BigPictureReg]

Take a look at the 2nd photo that is shown in your link.

Same bridge as the one shown by HuffPo.

[NY Grandma]

Thank you. When I lived in New York, I drove across that bridge evert day.