Report: Funeral home director, 89, arrested in murder of embalmer

The William R. Welsh Funeral Home in Homestead, Pa.
Credit: Welsh-Funeral-Home.com.

An 89-year-old Allegheny County funeral home director was arrested for allegedly murdering an embalmer over a dispute over a housing demolishment, according to a report from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

A criminal complaint obtained by the paper states Homestead, Pa. funeral home director William Welsh, 89, was near the William R. Welsh Funeral Home Friday when heshortly before 12:45 p.m.”snapped,”shooting longtime acquaintance and funeral home embalmer William Menni, 58, in the back of the head.

Menni died around 2:30 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy.

Homestead police Chief Jeffrey DeSimone reportedly told detectives he was driving in the area when he saw Welsh standing in the doorway of the funeral home.

A witness told DeSimone Welsh shot Menni, according to the complaint.

DeSimone said he recovered a weapon from behind a planter in the funeral home hallway, as well as two spent shell casings.

He told investigators Welsh soon admitted to killing Menni.

Welsh allegedly told police he and his son were embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Menni concerning a vacant property adjacent to the funeral home parking lot that was in the process of being demolished.

Welsh said he and Menni on Friday became involved in a dispute during which Menni pushed Welsh, who stated “he finally snapped and pulled out his gun from his pocket and shot Menni twice,” according to the criminal complaint.

Welsh is charged with one count of homicide and is imprisoned at the Allegheny County Jail without bail.

He is next due in court Aug. 9 for a preliminary hearing.