PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Cumberland County man accused of killing his own grandfather with a kitchen knife is in custody after being apprehended on Villanova University’s campus. Arresting U.S. Marshals were careful not to alarm students after last week’s active shooter hoax.
Albert Moir, 59, was stabbed to death in his home on Diamond Drive in Vineland, New Jersey, according to police. They discovered his body around 11 p.m. Tuesday and determined the suspect to be his grandson, 26-year-old Shawn A. Moir, who lives in the same home.
Authorities said Moir took his grandfather’s black 2009 Chevy Tahoe, and U.S. Marshals quickly ascertained he drove it to a parking garage on Villanova’s campus.
Moir faces homicide and weapons charges from the Cumberland County Prosecutor.
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark says officers were cognizant that a recent active shooter hoax on Nova’s campus made staying under the radar a priority.
“They’ve been through enough with these swatting incidents. We didn’t want to alarm them again,” he said. “We didn’t want to cause more trauma of a massive police presence, so we just worked as quietly as possible and as safely as possible.”
Thankfully, Clark said, Moir did not arrive on campus for any reason other than he needed gas and a place to park — though authorities didn’t know that when they located him.
“We knew he may be mentally unstable, but unfortunately for when there is a murder fugitive on a college campus, it’s a very high priority for us to take care of business as quickly as possible for the safety of those students.”