In the 1997 shooting deaths of his parents, who sold jewellery from their Society Hill home, a Common Pleas judge found Matthew Zimmerman guilty of first-degree murder and weapons crimes. In the early morning of February 4, 1997, police discovered the deaths of Zimmerman’s parents, Richard, 54, and Patricia, 45, in the dining room of their townhouse on South Street near Front. Each was killed by a gunshot to the head. Matthew Zimmerman was given a life sentence.
From the start, a double murder in the upscale South Street section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in early 1997, was a difficult case to solve. Because the authorities lacked evidence, the case eventually came to a halt. However, because to a tip, Patricia and Richard Zimmerman’s killer was finally apprehended decades later.
‘Homicide City: Society Hill Slaying‘ on Investigation Discovery dives into the circumstances surrounding the beloved couple’s killing and the bombshell reveal of the killer’s identity. Let’s jump right in and learn everything there is to know about the case.
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What Caused Patricia Zimmerman’s and Richard Zimmerman’s Deaths?
Patricia, according to the show, was a wayward child who ran away from home when she was 15 or 16 years old. She eventually met Richard and fell in love with him. Richard worked in the jewellery industry, and Patricia soon began assisting him. The couple started a family with two children, Matthew and Michelle. Patricia and Richard ran their business out of a townhouse on South Street that was well secured.
Michelle became concerned when the Zimmermans failed to show up for a family gathering to which Michelle had invited them. In addition, Michelle requested a welfare check after failing to reach her parents via phone calls. On February 4, 1997, investigators arrived at their home and discovered Patricia, 43, and Richard, 54, killed in their dining room. Both had been executed by being shot once in the back of the head with a.45-caliber weapon.
Who Killed Patricia and Richard Zimmerman and Why?
At the Zimmerman home, there was no evidence of forced entry. In addition, their home was protected, and everyone who entered had to be buzzed in by them, leading to the suspicion that the two knew the killer.
Following a 1994 attack in which Richard was shot, and Patricia was kidnapped, the couple had become more security-aware. Another perplexing feature was that there appeared to be no missing items; diamonds and other valuables were still in the residence when the cops arrived.
After learning that Patricia and Richard’s son Matthew was estranged from his parents, the authorities conducted an interview with him. According to the show, Matthew claimed to have been in Kensington, Pennsylvania, around the time of the killings, helping a friend move into a new home. Matthew, on the other hand, did not turn up to assist his pal, according to the probe. Moreover, there was no further evidence that pointed to him at the time.
The case went cold for a long time before officials looked into it again in 1999. Matthew seems to have benefited from his parents’ deaths, according to the show. He had recently purchased a mansion and had been flaunting jewels and cash.
Matthew’s buddies reportedly told the cops that he requested them to furnish him with an alibi for the weekend before his parents were found dead. Matthew was also observed brandishing a.45 calibre pistol.
Then, in 2002, a tip from a drug dealer propelled the inquiry forward. Carmen Monica informed the cops that Matthew intended to employ him to assassinate his parents, according to the episode. Matthew allegedly requested Carmen multiple times to be the triggerman, promising to compensate him from the inheritance.
Carmen, on the other hand, declined at the moment. When faced with this knowledge, Matthew admitted to the killings, saying, “You’re correct. They were killed by me.”
What Happened to Matthew Zimmerman and Where Is He Now?
Matthew Zimmerman was already in federal prison on drug and violence offences when he was arrested in 2003. He was convicted of murdering his parents, Patricia and Richard Zimmerman, in March 2007, when he was 34 years old. The reason, according to the prosecution, was a $1 million inheritance, and Matthew had a history of disliking his mother and stealing from his father.
Michelle, who was certain of her brother’s innocence, testified that he only received $65,000 from the estate. According to the episode, Matthew Zimmerman was sentenced to life in prison for the killings. Matthew is still detained at the State Correctional Institution – Pine Grove in Indiana, Pennsylvania, according to prison records.
