Heartbroken sister lashes out after her brother is stabbed to death and his stepson is shot by cops after family feud erupts
A beloved father who was allegedly murdered by his stepson during a wild domestic dispute has been identified as a retired banker and train conductor.
Tony Di Falco, 61, was stabbed to death at his Chris Court home in Hillside, in Melbourne’s northwest, about 6.50am on Friday.
His stepson, who allegedly killed Mr Falco, was subsequently shot by police.
On Friday afternoon, Di Falco’s sister, Patricia Lanciano, took to social media to express her shock, disbelief and anger at her brother’s death.
“My beautiful brother was murdered this morning… (My) family is so devastated,” she wrote online.
‘Our hearts are so filled with sadness. It’s so deep in the feeling of empty and numb. This shouldn’t have happened. The shock, the anger, he was my best friend.
‘We will all miss you so much. We love you. Where are you for our weekly catch-ups and our in-depth chats? RIP my beautiful brother Tony Di Falco, you are an angel again in heaven with our beautiful mom and dad. GOD bless you.’
In the days before he died, Mr Di Falco had repeatedly posted messages on his own Facebook account targeting narcissists.
Tony Di Falco, 61, was stabbed to death at his home in Chris Court
“Narcissists never commit to anything real or honest, so they avoid answering questions about important matters,” he said four days ago.
“They have no moral compass, so they hide from any real responsibility.”
Mr Di Falco’s younger brother, Nick, said his brother was robbed of the chance to fulfill his dream of owning a house on the coast. Herald Sun reported.
He said Mr Di Falco was a retired banker and train conductor but had found a new hobby: investing.
Mr Di Falco’s Facebook page revealed that he had a keen interest in investing in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin.
“He just battled cancer, he was going to start a new life near Golden Beach (but) he never got a chance,” he said.
‘Tony always thought about his family, he had a big heart.
“He was a nice guy, he was a nice brother, he was a nice father. He was a hard worker and did not shy away from working extra hours.’
Early details of the tragedy suggest that police arrived at the scene and found Mr Di Falco seriously injured from shoutingheard from the house.
They were then reportedly confronted by a man with a knife, who approached them after negotiations broke down. 9News reported.
Tony Di Falco, 61, was stabbed to death at his home in Hillside
Police shot a man moments after another man died about 6:50 a.m. Friday at a Chris Court home in Hillside. According to reports from the scene, the men were a stepson and his stepfather
Police are gathering at the tragic scene in Hillside on Friday
The police fired several shots, both in the house and on the street, hitting the man in the lower body.
The man, aged in his 30s, from Preston, was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital under police guard and remains in a critical but stable condition with lower body injuries.
It is believed that a heavily pregnant woman, believed to be Mr Di Falco’s sister, called triple zero when he turned up at the house unannounced and an altercation broke out between the two men.
The pregnant woman, 27 years old, was taken to hospital for observation as a precaution.
Officers tried to resuscitate the 61-year-old, but he died at the scene.
Police allege they were then confronted by the younger man with an edged weapon.
Despite attempts at negotiations, the man ran outside, allegedly stabbed a police car tire and “walked toward one of the officers,” The era reported.
Police remained on site throughout Friday
Reporters gathered at the crime scene where Inspector Thomas addressed them
On Friday afternoon, Detective Dean Thomas told reporters that police were not looking for any other suspects in connection with the tragedy.
“We believe all parties knew each other and are treating this as a domestic violence incident,” he said.
Mr Thomas said the stepson did not live at the Hillside property and had turned up ‘unannounced’ on Friday morning.
Inspector Thomas said he had seen the officers’ bodycam footage and was confident the officers had done ‘everything they could’ to defuse the situation.
Relatives of the deceased told reporters at the scene that the incident was the result of a tragic domestic dispute.
Detectives from the Homicide Unit remain at the scene, which has been taped off, as they investigate the area for clues.
The police are calling on anyone with information to come forward.