Coroner has yet to rule on shooting deaths of Mooney students, but double-suicide looks likely

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

It’s been five months since the bodies of two Cardinal Mooney High School students were found in a township cemetery — both with gunshot wounds to the head.

Gunshot residue tests showed that both boys had fired the gun, suggesting double suicide.

Although police from the beginning suspected double suicide or homicide-suicide, there’s still been no official finding from the Mahoning County Coroner’s office.

A police officer found the bodies of Jamie Serich, 17, of Walker Mill Road, and Colin Hart, 18, of Wildwood Drive, the morning of Dec. 6 in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Hart still clutched the gun in his hand.

Both were seniors at Mooney.

Dr. Joseph Ohr, forensic pathologist and deputy county coroner, said he expects to complete the reports soon.

“As soon as I finish a couple of other things, they’re working their way to the top of my stack,” he said.

Police Chief Jack Nichols said the amount of time the coroner’s office is working on the Hart and Serich’s cases isn’t unusual compared to other cases. There’s a lot of paperwork and laboratory tests involved, and all of that can be time consuming, the chief said.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.