Birmingham Teacher Shot Multiple Times; Autopsies Scheduled Wednesday

The autopsies of slain West Maple Elementary School teacher Harry Berkowitz and the man police said killed him were scheduled for Wednesday afternoon by the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office, authorities said. 

Detective Lt. William Castro of the Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department planned to be at the autopsy to glean preliminary results, but final results may not become official until results from toxicology and other tests are known, Police Chief Daniel Roberts said.

Roberts confirmed Berkowitz, 72, was shot multiple times and that there's little doubt what or who killed him. The autopsy, however, will likely help investigators define the timeline when police believe roommate Thomas Ian Matthews attacked Berkowitz in the Franklin home they shared on Charles Lane.

"Right now we're working with about a 10-hour window between when he was discovered and working backward to when he was last seen by witnesses," Roberts said. "We're interviewing friends, associates, and co-workers in order to put together the pieces of the puzzle."

The Investigation

Roberts did not divulge many details of the ongoing investigation, but said any confrontation between Matthews and Berkowitz appeared to be an isolated incident. There were no prior police calls to the home or indications to others that they were at odds.

Franklin-Bingham Farms police officers responded to 26000 block of Charles Lane, shortly after receiving a call about a body at Berkowitz's home at about 8:30 a.m. They learned about Matthews and had a lead that he fled to a home in Royal Oak. Authorities confirmed that the 33-year-old ended his own life during a standoff with police in that home Tuesday afternoon.

Both that home and Berkowitz's house remained active investigation scenes Wednesday as detectives try and determine what led to the murder-suicide, Roberts said. Ballistics testing and further examination of evidence found at the scenes is also under way.

"This is a variance of a domestic situation," Roberts said, reiterating that he believes most people find Franklin and surrounding communities safe. "A very tragic situation to be sure."

Searching for Family

Funeral arrangements and memorials for Berkowitz were still pending Wednesday afternoon, Birmingham Schools spokeswoman Marcia Wilkinson said.

Berkowitz worked in the Birmingham Public Schools for nearly 47 years, and most recently was a specialist for students at West Maple Elementary School. Police on Wednesday asked for the public's help to try and identify any of Berkowitz's remaining family members. The career teacher was unmarried and did not have any children.

Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 248-626-9672 or e-mail Chief Roberts at droberts@franklin.mi.us.