By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau
WALTON _ An apparent murder-suicide shooting is being investigated by the Walton Police Department, the state police and the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, Walton Police Officer Brian Laauser said Monday. The shootings occurred at 32 Union St. at about 10 p.m. Sunday, police said.
Daisy Schultz, 65, of Walton, and Richard Utter, 74, of Norwich, died in the shootings, police said.
Delaware County District Attorney Richard Northrup said he went to the scene, and there is no indication that there will be a prosecution.
Northrup said Utter shot Schultz and then shot himself.
Schultz's daughter, Laura Northrup, said she was in shock over her mother's death. Laura Northrup is Richard Northrup's sister-in-law.
"I keep waiting to wake up and find out that this was all a bad dream," Laura Northrup said Monday.
Schultz's daughter described her mother by saying, "She had a heart of gold and would do anything for anybody. She loved spending time with her family, loving on her grandkids."
Laura Northrup said her mother loved to bowl and was an active member of the Walton Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. Schultz worked in home health care.
Luella Rogers, who lives at 34 Union St., said she was home Sunday night, but neither she nor her son, Terry Rogers, heard or saw anything.
Terry Rogers said: "It's just unbelievable. Right next door and not to hear or see a thing."
Terry Rogers said Schultz was a very caring, upbeat person who enjoyed going to dances to meet people.
Theresa Valada, who lives across the street from 32 Union St., said she saw bright lights and wondered what was going on but didn't realize that anything serious had happened.
"Daisy was a very nice woman and so pretty," Valada said.
Betty and Neil Northrup of Walton were friends with Schultz and Utter and spent time with them at the social dances in Walton, Sidney and Oneonta.
"She would go to all the dances at the Walton Grange and he would come from Norwich to meet her," Neil Northrup said. Neil Northrup is Richard Northrup's uncle.
Neil Northrup said Utter, who he and his wife, Betty, knew as Dick, lived in a trailer park in Norwich. He added that Utter was in poor health with kidney problems and a pacemaker. Schultz and Utter met at the dances, he said.
In a July 13 article in The Daily Star about the Walton Chamber of Commerce dances at the Walton Grange, Schultz talked about how much she loved dancing and going to the social events.
"I enjoy it because I love to dance," Schultz said at the time. "It's fun, and I meet a lot of people. That's what I like."
"He was very, very quiet," Neil Northrup said of Utter.
Betty Northrup said Utter had a good sense of humor and seemed to be a nice man, but added that his wife had died in May 2009.
"He was the last person you would ever think would do something like this," Betty Northrup said. "But he also seemed very needy and when Daisy broke up with him for a while he wouldn't stop calling her or showing up at the dances looking for her."
Betty Northrup said she had become very close friends with Schultz.
"Daisy was so good, so sweet and loveable," Betty Northrup said.
Betty Northrup said Utter took Schultz out to dinner on Sunday and they went to spend time at Laura and Brad Northrup's house Sunday night. She said Utter left first and it was unclear whether Schultz knew that he was going back to her apartment on Union Street.
Betty Northrup said the other tenants in the four-apartment building heard Schultz cry "No! No!" before hearing gunshots.
Laauser said the investigation is continuing and more information will be released when it becomes available.
Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com
