Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5341810

Murder Suspect of a 9/11 Hero Kills Self
Victim Responded toTwin Tower Attack

KABC LOCAL NEWS

SAN BERNARDINO, May 26, 2007 - Authorities say the suspect in that Arizona murder of a 9/11 hero has committed suicide, after being cornered by investigators outside a San Bernardino hotel.

The victim was a retired New York City firefighter Salvatore Princiotta.

The NYC firefighter was a member of a team of six firefighters that took a "Thank You America" cross-country bicycle tour after 9/11. They started from Ground Zero in New York City to honor 10 of members of their firefighter company that died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

Princiotta's body was found inside his Scottsdale home over a week ago. He moved to Arizona because of lung problems allegedly caused when his company responded to the 9/11 attack.

The suspect in his murder was discovered at a motel in San Bernardino and fled on foot when approached Friday night by Scottsdale police detectives and San Bernardino Sheriff's deputies.

It wasn't very long chase. The suspect pulled out a gun and committed suicide, according to a Scottsdale police spokesperson.

The investigation into Princiotta death, a 15-year veteran of the NYC Fire Department, began after his decomposed body was found in his condominium on May 14. Apparently, a worried family member called to report they hadn't heard from him in a while.

His death was ruled a homicide after authorities determined Princiotta had died of gunshot wounds. The motive for the slaying remained unclear.

Police have not released information about the suspect.

Reportedly, Princiotta's body was given a police escort on a fire engine to Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport, from where it was flown back to New York for funeral services.

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Source: http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=9e9d6db5-7c16-4284-bc84-c6e4d202b318

May 29, 2007 9:05 AM

Police: Robbery was motive for murder of 9/11 firefighter in Valley

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Robbery led to the murder of a former New York City firefighter found dead inside his apartment, police said.

The focus of the investigation has been on a coin collection missing from a safe inside the victim's Scottsdale apartment, police said.

Salvatore Princiotta's family was unable to detail the exact content or value of the coin collection and what they described as missing "Elvis Presley memorabilia," authorities said.

Family members told police Princiotta had been associating with a person named "Jeff." Police narrowed their search to Jeffrey Lynn Bigham, 56, a resident of Arizona and California.

Phone records obtained by Scottsdale police showed Princiotta and Bigham had been in daily contact until early May.

Detectives said they determined that Bigham was in Scottsdale on May 1, the day Princiotta was murdered. Princiotta's decomposed body was not found until May 14 in his Scottsdale apartment.

By Friday, police said, investigators had come to suspect Bigham was responsible for Princiotta's death.

Scottsdale detectives discovered that Bigham was in California. They traveled to the San Bernardino, Calif., area to begin searching for the suspect and found him at a motel there Friday evening, police said.

Scottsdale police detectives and San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies attempted to contact Bigham at the motel.

Upon seeing law enforcement, the suspect fled on foot and was chased by detectives, police said. After a short chase, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head as officers were closing in, police said.

Authorities said Bigham died a short time later at a San Bernadino-area hospital.

Princiotta, 43, responded to the Sept. 11 attacks while serving as a New York City firefighter in 2001. He moved to Arizona because he suffered from lung problems.