2 Daughters Found Drowned In Bathtub, Man Hanging In House, Police Say

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) _ A man drowned his two young daughters in a bathtub and hanged himself at his home, authorities said. <br/><br/>The bodies of Thomas Reilly, 5-year-old Megan, and 6-year-old Kelly

Friday, June 22nd 2007, 5:44 pm

By: News On 6

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) _ A man drowned his two young daughters in a bathtub and hanged himself at his home, authorities said.

The bodies of Thomas Reilly, 5-year-old Megan, and 6-year-old Kelly were found Thursday, just hours after his estranged wife dropped off their children for a visit, police said.

The deaths were a double-murder and suicide, Montclair Deputy Police Chief Roger Terry said.

Police went to the house after Reilly's wife became concerned because the 46-year-old hadn't answered his phone and no one answered the door when she knocked, Terry said.

Officers forced the door open and found the girls fully clothed and submerged in a bathtub on the first floor. They found the man hanging in a room on the third floor.

Terry said Reilly had been charged with assaulting his wife, Teresa, in March, the same month she filed for a temporary restraining order. Thomas Reilly moved out of the family's house in nearby Verona in recent months, Terry said.

The restraining order allowed Reilly to see his children but prevented him from being in contact with his wife, Terry said.

Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, D-Essex, said Thomas Reilly, a building engineer and former bar owner, emigrated from Ireland about 15 years ago.

``This was so out of character,'' Giblin said. ``He was a jovial type guy. All he ever did was work hard. Something happened here _ I don't know.''