Beloved South Philly shopkeeper is buried, suspect is charged with murder

The investigation into the chilling Christmas Eve killing of an elderly South Philadelphia shopkeeper is over.

Maurice Green, 31, faces murder charges for the fatal shooting of Marie Buck, 81, inside her grocery store just before 9 a.m. on Christmas Eve. He was arrested Dec. 28 and the next day, Buck’s funeral was held in front of hundreds of mourners.

Green allegedly shot the owner 11 times in the chest after entering the store intending to settle a score with Buck’s grandson, according to reports. He fled without taking anything.

Buck’s killing has shocked the neighborhood, where the longtime store owner was a well known presence, residents said.

At her funeral, some of the hundreds of people who attended recalled her as an active part of the community who even let some longtime customers keep store credit, the Inquirer reported.

Buck had operated her shop, Marie’s Grocery, for 44 years. It is located at 6th and Titan streets just south of Washington Avenue.

Homicide detectives believe the killing stemmed from a stolen gold chain. Police said Green, 31, of Overbrook, thought Buck’s grandson had stolen his chain. Green went to the store to confront the grandson, and seeing the store owner, shot her instead, 6ABC reported.

After identifying Green as a suspect, police arrested him Dec. 28.