Three found dead in W. Phila. row house; no suspects named

Three people were discovered dead with gunshot wounds to the head yesterday morning in the basement of a home on 4200 Aspen Street, several blocks north of Penn's campus, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

The victims were identified as Mecca Liles-Harris, 14; her mother, Sheila Harris, 43; and Daryl Bynum, a 29-year-old male, according to Sgt. Roland Lee. All three exhibited gunshot wounds, Sgt. John Taylor said.

Although no suspects have been named in the case thus far, Taylor said, "The motive we have is robbery as it stands right now."

Police are also unsure when exactly the murders took place, although they "think it's sometime" Wednesday night, Lee said.

They discovered the bodies at approximately 9:05 a.m. yesterday after responding to "a radio call of a hospital case," Lee said, and were met by the deceased's daughter and a friend. They were then let into the house, where they discovered the three dead bodies in the basement.

"All three victims had gunshot wounds to the head," Taylor said.

The weapon used has not been found, nor do police know what type of gun was used in the apparent shooting.

Lee said that the two adult victims, Bynum and Harris, "might have been boyfriend and girlfriend."

He added that "the mother was a hospital worker," and that "the male, to my knowledge, was unemployed at this time."

This triple homicide took place near the location of another infamous mass murder in West Philadelphia -- the so-called "Lex Street Massacre," which shook local residents less than three years ago.

In that incident, on Dec. 28, 2000, four men wearing black ski masks entered a row house and made 10 people lay face down on the floor of the residence. They then allegedly released rounds of gunfire that killed seven and injured three.

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