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| Retired World Bank economist, 83, found slain in upscale Va. neighborhood | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fairfax County police are investigating the overnight death of an 83-year-old man from the Mason Neck area as a homicide. | Fairfax County police are investigating the overnight death of an 83-year-old man from the Mason Neck area as a homicide. |
| Johan De Leede was found with upper body trauma in the back yard of a home in the 6000 block of River Drive in Mason Neck, Va., shortly after 1 a.m., police said. Officers were initially called to the scene by his wife, who heard gunshots and then found him in the back yard, police said. A second neighbor also called police to report gunshots. | Johan De Leede was found with upper body trauma in the back yard of a home in the 6000 block of River Drive in Mason Neck, Va., shortly after 1 a.m., police said. Officers were initially called to the scene by his wife, who heard gunshots and then found him in the back yard, police said. A second neighbor also called police to report gunshots. |
| De Leede was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries. | De Leede was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries. |
| Police used K-9 units and a helicopter to sweep the area for the attacker, but didn’t find anyone. Police asked residents to remain indoors while they investigated but have now cleared the area. Detectives have been interviewing family members and neighbors. | Police used K-9 units and a helicopter to sweep the area for the attacker, but didn’t find anyone. Police asked residents to remain indoors while they investigated but have now cleared the area. Detectives have been interviewing family members and neighbors. |
| Police have not released a motive for the killing and said they have no suspects at this time. Detectives were preparing to spend a couple days investigating the scene at De Leede’s home. | Police have not released a motive for the killing and said they have no suspects at this time. Detectives were preparing to spend a couple days investigating the scene at De Leede’s home. |
| “There is no immediate threat to the community on River Drive,” said Fairfax County Officer Roger Henriquez. | “There is no immediate threat to the community on River Drive,” said Fairfax County Officer Roger Henriquez. |
| Richard Kennedy, a neighbor, said De Leede was an economist with the World Bank who had retired some time ago. Kennedy also said De Leede was active in the Mason Neck Citizens Association and had pushed for a bike trail to be built in the area. He said De Leede and his wife were originally from the Netherlands. The couple has children and grandchildren and had lived in the neighborhood for years. | Richard Kennedy, a neighbor, said De Leede was an economist with the World Bank who had retired some time ago. Kennedy also said De Leede was active in the Mason Neck Citizens Association and had pushed for a bike trail to be built in the area. He said De Leede and his wife were originally from the Netherlands. The couple has children and grandchildren and had lived in the neighborhood for years. |
| Kennedy said the neighborhood is stunned by De Leede’s death. | Kennedy said the neighborhood is stunned by De Leede’s death. |
| “We’ve sent an email out to the neighborhood and asked whether anyone knew of anything out of the ordinary, but no one has replied,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to imagine a person like him would have any enemies. It is pretty incomprehensible.” | “We’ve sent an email out to the neighborhood and asked whether anyone knew of anything out of the ordinary, but no one has replied,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to imagine a person like him would have any enemies. It is pretty incomprehensible.” |
| Tim Rizer, who lives three doors down from De Leede’s family, said he woke up about 1:30 a.m. to the sound of police helicopters circling above the normally quiet neighborhood of million-dollar homes that faces the Potomac River. | Tim Rizer, who lives three doors down from De Leede’s family, said he woke up about 1:30 a.m. to the sound of police helicopters circling above the normally quiet neighborhood of million-dollar homes that faces the Potomac River. |
| “Generally, in our neighborhood, if there are helicopters, you figure there was some accident on the Potomac River,” Rizer said. “I got up, looked around, didn’t see anything and the helicopters kept flying around over and over and over again and I thought, well, maybe somebody is on the loose.” | “Generally, in our neighborhood, if there are helicopters, you figure there was some accident on the Potomac River,” Rizer said. “I got up, looked around, didn’t see anything and the helicopters kept flying around over and over and over again and I thought, well, maybe somebody is on the loose.” |
| Rizer, who is chairman of the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, said he knew De Leede through his work to carve out more bike trails and other recreational outlets in the Mason Neck area. | Rizer, who is chairman of the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, said he knew De Leede through his work to carve out more bike trails and other recreational outlets in the Mason Neck area. |
| As he got older, De Leede became less active in those efforts but continued to take his boat out on the river and regularly taught kayaking and light sailing to friends and neighborhood children. | As he got older, De Leede became less active in those efforts but continued to take his boat out on the river and regularly taught kayaking and light sailing to friends and neighborhood children. |
| “He built a nice little area out in the back of his house on the water that had sand and stuff,” Rizer said. “You’d see five or six people, usually kids or something, and he’d be showing them how to sail in the back of our houses.” | “He built a nice little area out in the back of his house on the water that had sand and stuff,” Rizer said. “You’d see five or six people, usually kids or something, and he’d be showing them how to sail in the back of our houses.” |
| News of the murder spread quickly through the Mason Neck area Friday morning, with many residents wondering how an elderly man could be found shot to death in his own back yard. | News of the murder spread quickly through the Mason Neck area Friday morning, with many residents wondering how an elderly man could be found shot to death in his own back yard. |
| “Eighty-year-old people, most of your company and things like that are gone that late at night,” Rizer said, adding that he had not heard of any troubles brewing in De Leede’s household. | “Eighty-year-old people, most of your company and things like that are gone that late at night,” Rizer said, adding that he had not heard of any troubles brewing in De Leede’s household. |
| Mustafa Soykan, a friend and former colleague, said De Leede had retired from the World Bank about 15 years ago. Soykan said De Leede was a senior economist at the bank and his work focused on francophone countries in Africa. Soykan said he and De Leede went golfing together and his friend was enjoying his retirement. | Mustafa Soykan, a friend and former colleague, said De Leede had retired from the World Bank about 15 years ago. Soykan said De Leede was a senior economist at the bank and his work focused on francophone countries in Africa. Soykan said he and De Leede went golfing together and his friend was enjoying his retirement. |
| De Leede was often busy visiting with his children and grandchildren, so Soykan said he had not seen him that much recently. Soykan said De Leede had four children and seven or eight grandchildren. | De Leede was often busy visiting with his children and grandchildren, so Soykan said he had not seen him that much recently. Soykan said De Leede had four children and seven or eight grandchildren. |
| He too was shocked by the news. Soykan said he could think of no one that would want to harm De Leede. | He too was shocked by the news. Soykan said he could think of no one that would want to harm De Leede. |
| “They are wonderful people,” Soykan said. | “They are wonderful people,” Soykan said. |
| Relatives of De Leede’s declined to comment when reached by phone. | Relatives of De Leede’s declined to comment when reached by phone. |
| Anyone with information is asked to call 703-691-2131. | Anyone with information is asked to call 703-691-2131. |
| Jennifer Jenkins and Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report. |