Police searching for motive in Peabody murder-suicide

As the waves of shock continued to reverberate through Peabody and its vicinity, investigators still wondered yesterday what led a 25-year-old man to kill his sister and father before taking his life.

``We are trying to find a motive for this tragedy," said Stephen O'Connell, spokesman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett.

On Friday, George D. Kalogeropoulos, who was unemployed, stabbed his 52-year-old father , Demetrios , to death in the kitchen of the family's home.

Then, police said, he went upstairs and fatally stabbed his younger sister, 23-year-old Joanne. Finally, he went outside, climbed into his sport utility vehicle, and shot himself.

O'Connell said police have been interviewing relatives, family friends, and neighbors, trying to understand what prompted the slayings.

Police offered few details yesterday. ``It remains under investigation," said Detective Michael Crane, a Peabody police spokesman.

What is known is that the shooter's mother , Marina Kalogeropoulos, arrived at her family's Margin Street home just before 2:30 p.m. Friday and immediately called 911, O'Connell said.

Police found Demetrios in the kitchen and Joanne in the bathtub of the second - floor bathroom. Authorities believe that Joanne had locked the bathroom door to try to protect herself, but her brother broke through the lock.

He was found in his vehicle, with a handgun at his feet.

George Kalogeropoulos had no criminal record, but was licensed to carry a gun, authorities said. O'Connell said that police took three other guns out of the home on Friday. The guns are now in the possession of the state's ballistics department, he said.

O'Connell said George and Joanne Kalogeropoulos had at least one other sibling, but the person's whereabouts were not known yesterday.

Stunned neighbors have said the family appeared to be a hard-working family in the diverse neighborhood of multi story brick homes and long driveways.

Marina Kalogeropoulos owns a hair salon in Danvers, neighbors said, and Joanne had worked for seven years at Sports Authority in a mall in Danvers. The manager of the sporting goods store told the Globe that the company planned to provide grief counseling for employees. Yesterday, a man who answered the telephone at the store said there would be no comment.

Friends have said Joanne had recently received an associate's degree in fashion from Newbury College in Brookline, had dreamed of moving to Los Angeles or New York and becoming a fashion designer.

Christine McConville can be reached at cmcconville@ globe.com.