Mary Kate Golding, Queens mom and assistant set decorator stabbed to death by husband, Joseph Azzaretto, later found hanging from tree in Astoria Park in suspected murder-suicide. Couple’s 11-month old son found near mother’s body.
A Queens, NYC mom was found stabbed to death early Tuesday – with her husband’s body found soon after hanging from a tree in a nearby park. The suspected murder-suicide comes after neighbors saying the dad was often ‘acting crazy.’
Mary Kate Golding, 34, was found stabbed in the back at home on 41st Street, near 19th Avenue, in Astoria around 12:30 a.m., police said according to the nypost.
The victim’s husband, Joseph Azzaretto, was discovered hanging from a tree in nearby Astoria Park about six hours later, law-enforcement sources told the outlet.
Couple’s 11-month-old boy found near murder-scene
The couple’s 11-month-old boy Nolan was left alone with his slain mother after she was stabbed, cops said.
Golding’s friend recovered the infant after Azzaretto, 33, called her and confessed to the killing, sources said.
‘When her friend came and found the body, she was screaming,’ a neighbor said, adding that ‘she took the baby and walked out’ of the room where he was left with his dead mother.
Queens dad confesses to stabbing set decorator wife to death before taking own life
Investigators believe her husband might be connected to her slaying — and the two had gotten into an argument earlier that night.
Azzaretto took off in a minivan after the stabbing, with law enforcement saying the husband confessed the killing in a phone call to a family member, who alerted authorities.
Cops responded shortly after, and found Golding dead, with the knife still in her back according to the Daily News.
Azzaretto was found deceased before cops could locate him, having driven off to Astoria Park, where his lifeless body was found hanging from a tree, according to cops.
Prior incidents of violence in family history
Violence appears to run in Azzaretto’s family, according to sources.
Sources said his brother, Nicholas Azzaretto, was arrested for allegedly fatally shooting their father inside their Monroe County, Penn., home in 2020.
Nicholas, now 26, later pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree and voluntary manslaughter, records show.
An employee at a neighboring auto body shop said Golding and Azzaretto had only moved to their basement apartment from Pennsylvania two months ago.
Mental health issues cited
Golding studied at NYU and was working as an assistant set decorator for shows like the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Goosebumps at the time of her death, according to her IMDB page and other online profiles.
Azzaretto also worked in the film industry, the neighbor, who requested anonymity, said.
Azzaretto quickly developed a reputation for being ‘crazy,’ the neighbor claimed.
‘He was an angry person,’ the neighbor said according to the nypost. ‘I decided to avoid him. I didn’t even look at his text messages.’
The auto body shop worker also described Azzaretto as being ‘mentally disturbed,’ leaving neighbors threatening notes if they parked on his driveway.
He also recounted an instance where Azzaretto physically fought repo men over his car.
‘We told him that they called us and they’re going to come repo the car and he went inside and started fighting with them.’
‘He was mentally disturbed. We knew that since he got here.’
Authorities have yet to say what led to the suspected domestic violence. The NYPD continue to investigate.
