Frankford man charged with killing his next-door neighbors
He was charged with murder in slaying of two men on James Street.
A Frankford man who was questioned by police after he admitted to fatally shooting two neighbors July 16 was charged Friday with their murders, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said.
"The office thoroughly investigated, and today we charged," said District Attorney's Office spokesman Cameron Kline.
Kenneth Hoyle, 69, was being held without bail on two counts of first-degree murder, Kline said. An ongoing neighborhood dispute led him to fatally shoot Bob DePaul, 45, and August Dempsey, 42, who both lived next door to Hoyle in the 4700 block of James Street, authorities said.
The victims were each shot once in the head. Hoyle told police he shot the couple in self-defense after they tried to attack him, according to published reports.
Dempsey's sons this week turned over to the District Attorney's Office petitions with more than 5,000 signatures demanding that Hoyle be arrested.
If convicted of the first-degree murder counts, Hoyle would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
It was not immediately known whether Hoyle had retained an attorney.