At a news conference Sunday morning, Chief Hugh Clements confirmed that 61 year-old Franklin Osgood, who retired from the force in 2007 after serving for a short time, killed his wife, 55 year-old Mary Jo Osgood, then fled to New Jersey where he killed himself after being spotted by police.
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At around 9:11 p.m. Saturday night, Providence Police Department detectives contacted state police dispatchers to report that Osgood, “a murder suspect considered armed and risky”, may be traveling on the Turnpike in a 2007 black Dodge Charger, New Jersey state police said in a statement.
Troopers located Osgood’s black 2007 Dodge Charger near Ridgefield Park in Bergen County, but Osgood refused to stop, according to the release.
He eventually lost control of his vehicle near milepost 117.1, struck a metal guardrail and then crashed into a State Police trooper patrol auto, police said.
Around 9:30 p.m., Osgood lost control of his auto, struck a metal guardrail and crashed into a trooper’s vehicle.
Osgood was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when troopers approached his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital at about 11:30 p.m.
Troopers searching Osgood’s auto discovered his wife Mary Jo’s body inside the trunk and found a semi-automatic gun inside the passenger compartment, State Police said.
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Providence Police was informed of the situation, and alerted law enforcement agencies across the country to be on the lookout for his auto. Providence police went to his home and after searching his garage declared it to be a crime scene, according to The Providence Journal Bulletin. The trooper involved in the crash suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. The Providence Police Department is investigating the death of Mary Jo Osgood.
