2 dead in weekend violence

Homicide detectives are investigating the bizarre details surrounding the killing of a 44-year-old South Philly man who police say was stabbed to death by his 26-year-old girlfriend's other beau on Thursday.

The body of Thomas Higginbotham was found the next morning by a friend, police said.

"He hadn't seen [Higginbotham] so he goes to check in and he makes the discovery," said Homicide Sgt. Bob Wilkins.

Higginbotham was found in the living room with multiple stab wounds to the head and neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested his live-in girlfriend, Fay Short, 26, and her other boyfriend, Kieran Loyd, 24, of Hunting Park. Both have been charged with murder.

The two entered the residence, on Mole and Morris streets, Thursday night where Loyd - who has a previous arrest record for burglary - stabbed Higginbotham several times, police said.

The house was ransacked, but police are not sure if anything was stolen.

"We're still trying to figure out the motive," Wilkins said.

In other weekend violence in the city, another person is dead and three people were critically wounded in three shootings. Meanwhile, three people are recovering from stab wounds sustained in two separate incidents, police said.

YESTERDAY

* Police said that an unidentified man was shot in the leg in Germantown last night.

He was found inside a van about 7 p.m. on Germantown Avenue near Garfield Street. Police reported no immediate arrests.

_ A woman was in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after police said she was shot twice in the back during an attempted robbery in West Philly early yesterday.

The woman was found by passers-by outside of her vehicle, lying in a pool of blood, at 48th and Spruce streets about 3:40 a.m., police said. Police reported no arrests.

SATURDAY

_ A domestic dispute turned violent and ended with a knife in a man's chest, although he is expected to recover, police said.

The lovers' quarrel began about 11:00 a.m. in an apartment complex on Busti and Holden streets, in West Philly, police said.

The girlfriend scratched the man's face and proceeded to plunge a knife into his chest, police said. Police reported no arrests.

_ A 24-year-old man was in critical condition at HUP after being shot in the stomach and right side about 2:40 a.m. in Southwest Philly.

The man was shot on 82nd Street near Grovers Avenue, police said. Police reported no arrests.

_ About an hour earlier, police said, two men were stabbed in Hunting Park.

The men, 22 and 23, were stabbed on H and Ontario streets about 1:30 a.m., police said.

They were taken to Temple University Hospital, where the 22-year-old was being treated for a stab wound to the forearm. The other man, 23, was stabbed in the neck and face.

Police reported no arrests.

_ An unidentified man was pronounced dead about 2 a.m. after being shot multiple times on 2nd and Somerset streets, West Kensington, about 1 a.m., police said.

Police reported an arrest, but didn't provide further details. *