Mother, Daughter Victims of Homicide in Alburtis

An elderly woman and her daughter were found dead in their Alburtis home Friday morning and state police are investigating. Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim says the deaths are homicides.

Grim was called to the home of Althea Walbert at 122 Cobblestone Court in Alburtis and declared the women dead at about 10:15 a.m.

Walbert, 82, was well known in the small town, Shawn Meyers, a neighbor, told Patch in an interview. Meyers recalled that Walbert and her daughter, Jeanette, were usually seen together. Jeanette was 59 and had a disability, according to several reports.

Autopsies are scheduled for tomorrow morning and officials don’t expect to release further information until then.

A man who identified himself as a family friend looked visibly shaken and upset as he was seen leaving the house this morning.

The neatly-kept home is a white Cape Cod with green shutters. A tidy brick walkway leads to a patio with a fountain. Police extended their search to include a detached garage next to the house. The quiet neighborhood consists mostly of townhouses.

At about 9 a.m., emergency scanner reports alerted Alburtis Police and ambulance to an apparent cardiac arrest case. Later reports indicated the possibility of two victims.

Police taped off the crime scene. Investigators include a state police forensic team.

Alburtis Police Chief Robert Palmer said any updates will be released by the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.