Postal worker Louis Vignone saw a man drive up in front of his own while on his mail route Thursday.
It was his former Pennsylvania neighbor, Eric Kortz, who knew Vignone’s route and tracked him down. This was not a cordial meeting between the ex-neighbors, however.
By his own admission, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania, Kortz “went to put some bullets in him.” The 58-year-old postal worker was found dead in his U.S. Postal Service vehicle, with seven shell casings located nearby, officials say.
Kortz dropped the firearm at the scene before driving to the Carnegie Borough Police Department to turn himself in. The 53-year-old told officers he shot someone, federal officials said.
A woman who heard the shooting, Debbie Bock, said she and a contractor working on her house tried to help, “but it was clear that he was deceased,” WTAE reported.
Kortz told investigators he shot Vignone because he believed his former neighbor had previously poisoned he and his family with cyanide, according to federal officials. Kortz did not offer evidence to back up his claim and the attorney handling the case did not say whether the poisoning claim had any validity.
Sheila Kirkpatrick, who was neighbors with Kortz and Vignone, said she had heard rumors that they did not get along but noted “there were never any disturbances” at Kortz’ home, KDKA reported.
Kortz was charged with murder and federal officials have requested he remain in jail without bond.
Vignone had been delivering mail in the area for around 15 years, said Ken Bock, who lives in the neighborhood where the mail carrier was shot.
“He didn’t seem like anybody could have a grudge against him,” he told the Pittsburgh Pot-Gazette. “Just seemed like a real nice guy.”