Autopsies Confirm Homicide and Suicide Following Connected New York Deaths

Autopsy results released by New York State Police have confirmed that two deaths linked to a police pursuit in Wayne County involve a homicide and a suicide. The investigation began on Tuesday morning when troopers responded to a residence on South Woods Road in the Town of Moira, located in Franklin County.

Upon arriving at the Moira residence around 8:45 a.m., authorities discovered 50-year-old Melissa Pelc-Lohr of Brushton deceased inside the home with apparent gunshot wounds. An autopsy performed Wednesday at Glens Falls Hospital by forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica determined her death was a homicide resulting from a gunshot wound to the head.

Information gathered at the Franklin County scene led investigators to identify a pickup truck potentially connected to the incident. Later that morning, around 10:30 a.m., State Police Troop E members located a matching red 2009 Chevrolet Silverado in the Town of Lyons within Wayne County.

When the driver refused to stop for law enforcement, a pursuit ensued. Deputies deployed tire deflation devices before the pickup truck eventually went off Route 14. The driver, identified as 50-year-old Norman Lohr Jr. of Michigan, did not comply with commands to exit the vehicle.

As troopers and deputies approached the vehicle, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deployed its BearCat armored vehicle. An inspection of the truck revealed that Lohr was the sole occupant and was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, a finding later confirmed by an autopsy at the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The unfolding emergency prompted the closure of Route 14 between Culver Street and Schleede Road for several hours on Tuesday, though the Sheriff’s Office assured the public that there was no active threat. The roadway fully reopened to traffic by approximately 5 p.m. that evening.

State Police have executed search warrants and processed both crime scenes as part of the ongoing joint investigation involving personnel from Troops B and E alongside the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the relationship between Pelc-Lohr and Lohr, nor have they disclosed the specific circumstances leading up to the shootings.