Family deaths in New Castle ruled double homicide-suicide

Staff Report

new castle, pa.

Lawrence County Coroner Russell Noga released the names of the victims in a triple shooting in the city last week, which was discovered by police early Friday afternoon.

He said Ljuba Novosel, 40, apparently committed suicide after shooting her 12-year son, Tomislav Novosel, and 81-year-old mother, Anka Denk.

After an autopsy Saturday, the deaths were ruled a double homicide-suicide.

The family lived on South Mercer Avenue.

Police Chief Tom Sansone said the victims had been dead for several days. All were shot at close range; police found a handgun in the house.

A neighbor called police for a welfare check after one of the family’s cats went to the neighbor looking for food, which was unusual, Sansone said.

Ljuba Novosel, born in Zagreb, Croatia, had a nursing degree from Slippery Rock University and renewed her registered nurse’s license in October.

A relative says her seventh-grade son would have been 13 on Feb. 4, loved to play baseball and served as an altar boy in a local parish.