CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Jim Matthews spent nearly seven years as WWJ 950′s solid, dependable overnight news anchor.
Matthews, whose legal name was Jim Nicolai, was found murdered in his Chesterfield Township condo Friday (Sept. 23).
Matthews’ 35-year-old girlfriend and mother of his two young children were in the home along with their ten-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.
Local 4 spoke with his brother Joe Nicolai about his pride in working at WWJ.
“He was so excited when he got that job,” said Nicolai. “I was so excited and happy for him when he got into WWJ. Since he was a little kid, he wanted to be a DJ.”
Also in the home was the suspect, a 54-year-old family friend who tried to kill himself by overdosing after police say he committed the attack.
Police were notified when the girlfriend escaped the condo with their 5-year-old and flagged down a car for help.
“A 35-year-old white female had escaped with her five-year-old daughter,” said Chesterfield Police Chief Brian Bassett. “She was suffering from stab wounds at that time. Our police officers and firefighters began rendering aid. Additional officers made entry into the home, where we found a 57-year-old white male deceased.”
When police got to the 33000 block of Bayview Drive, they said she was suffering from stab wounds, and the 5-year-old was injured too.
Read: Macomb County attempted murder-suicide: 1 man killed; 2 children, 1 woman, suspect in hospital
When police got inside the condo, they found Nicolai dead and more.
“We also found a 10-year-old white male bound and suffering from blunt force trauma,” Bassett said.
Sources told Local 4 that the 10-year-old was beaten in the head with a hammer, bound, and left for dead in the closet as he tried to fight off the suspect who was killing his father.
Officials said they found the 54-year-old white male suspect in the basement with self-inflicted wounds who had overdosed but survived the suicide attempt.
The 35-year-old mother and her two children are being treated at the hospital for their injuries.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by the children’s aunt. If you would like to make a donation to his children click here.