But on Wednesday, the couple’s daughter and grandchildren found the Magees shot to death on the first floor of their home, victims of an apparently targeted shooting. Running ahead in anticipation of seeing their grandparents, the children, ages 8 and 4, were the first to see the sprawled bodies, a family friend said.
Authorities remained tight-lipped yesterday about the circumstances of the slayings and provided no public updates on the progress of the investigation. On Wednesday, police said they had not identified any suspects or established a motive, but reassured residents that the killings were isolated.
The silence from authorities deepened the mystery around the slayings, the first in Andover in a nearly a decade, and heightened unease in the quiet neighborhood.
The couple’s black Lexus sport utility vehicle was taken from their home, part of an upscale subdivision that John Magee had built. The SUV was found burned in Boston’s North End Tuesday night. Authorities are searching the car for evidence.
Those who knew the couple said they could not imagine anyone who would wish them harm.
“They are the nicest people you are ever going to see,’’ said Paul Mercandetti, a longtime friend of the couple. “It doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s just insane.’’
Mercandetti, who grew up with John Magee in Arlington and was the best man at his wedding, recalled the Magees as an “ideal family’’ that he likened to television’s Ozzie and Harriet.
“I have searched my soul, but I can’t think of a single person who could have held a grudge against them,’’ he said.
Mercandetti met John Magee every Sunday for breakfast, and he said there was no hint of trouble in his life.
“If there was anything going on, he would have told me,’’ he said. “We were very close.’’
Magee, 69, built high-end houses and oversaw construction of many large residential developments. But Mercandetti said Magee was known as a fair businessman and said he could not believe the slayings were financially motivated.
