50°
Bart Masciulli, 51, of Levittown, was sitting in his car at a FedEx distribution center near the airport in Tinicum Township on Friday, Oct. 7 when a pedestrian approached and shot him several times, as Daily Voice reported. The suspect, 59-year-old Keith Blount of Philadelphia, was arrested after a brief shootout with city police hours later.
At the time, the victim's family members said in a GoFundMe that Blount worked with Masiculli and that the killing was motivated by a workplace dispute. Now, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer says he agrees.
In a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 25, prosecutors said Blount was being trained to be a delivery driver at the FedEx warehouse, and that Masciulli was a training instructor for prospective drivers.
Investigators found that Masciulli evaluated Blount's delivery abilities on two separate occasions and failed him both times — a slight that authorities said drove Blount to commit murder.
"When the defendant did not receive a positive evaluation, he decided to retaliate in the worst way possible," wrote DA Stollsteimer.
"In committing this senseless act, he has forever deprived a family of their loved one, and he has shaken the community to its core."
Authorities said they reviewed security footage from the FedEx parking lot to identify Blount's car. The vehicle was traced to an address in Philadelphia where Blount was listed as a resident.
Just a few hours after Masciulli's killing, officials said Blount opened fire on a Philadelphia police car patrolling the 3300 block of North 10th Street. He was wounded during the exchange and arrested at the scene, according to the DA's office.
Investigators said the shell casings from the police shootout matched those found at the scene of Masciulli's murder.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Reading and receive free news updates.
