It was an unusually warm winter morning when crying neighbors, curious onlookers and police officials gathered on a normally quiet Fishtown corner looking for answers. Murder isn’t common in this part of the Riverwards, especially one so brutal.

On Monday, December 7, police carried the body of a woman out of a house on 1347 Earl St. The victim has been identified as Kathy Wilson, 54.

Lieutenant Phil Reil of the PPD called the crime scene “very brutal,” explaining that the victim was found badly beaten on a sofa in her home. Police are treating the investigation as a homicide. There were no signs of forced entry.

Theresa Bowers, a long-time friend and neighbor of the victim, said Wilson “didn’t let people she didn’t know into her house.” Police have not yet released an official motive for the crime, but Bowers told The Spirit that Wilson “had lots of collectibles and lots of money in her house. It had to be somebody she knows.”

Wilson lived in the house on Earl Street for at least ten years and was well known in the neighborhood, according to the dozens of neighbors present at the crime scene. Friday was the last time any family, friends or neighbors saw her.

According to investigators, a woman walked into the 26th Police District this morning, asserting her belief that Wilson might be dead. Police entered the home through a second story window, where upon entry they smelled gas and alerted Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW). The Fire Department and PGW entered and discovered that burners were left on in the kitchen. Police officials acknowledged that this could’ve been a far worse scene if the house had gone up in flames. In addition to the first responders, the SPCA also arrived at the home and took away two dogs that belonged to the victim.

“I can think of maybe eight people she would let inside,” Bowers said. “[Kathy] was like an aunt to me, she was the one that helped me get over my agoraphobia (a fear of leaving one’s house). She told me to just start coming to her house and that would be a first step. Now look, I’m outside.”

There are surveillance cameras attached to the rooftops of the new homes across the street. The Spirit saw officials entering the new homes and more information may present itself from that surveillance footage.

Here is additional video footage The Spirit captured today outside of the crime scene:

To submit a tip about this crime, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847.

UPDATE (5:30PM):

According to Philly.com, police have taken a man and a woman into custody in connection with Wilson’s death, but Homicide Capt. James Clark would release no further details about those taken into custody.

UPDATE (10:45AM):

ABC Action News report that the killers have been identified as 50-year-old James Cheever and 47-year-old Jane Johnson. Both Confessed to the murder.

The couple are boyfriend and girlfriend, they knew the victim personally and Johnson used to help her regularly due to an illness. Johnson was the “mastermind” behind the crime.

Between $20,000 and $25,000 was stolen. According to Action News robbery was the motive and information that Wilson had recently received an inheritance led the criminals to seek out the money.

“They knew she had a large amount of money in the house. They got in under the premise of cleaning her house. Once inside, they demanded her money. She had it hidden and they repeatedly beat her until she told them where it was at. It was really sad and a very, very senseless murder,” Captain James Clark said.