#Pennsylvania man allegedly killed wife, her mom over missing gun magazine

A suburban Philadelphia man admitted to gunning down his wife and mother-in-law during a heated argument — over a loaded handgun magazine that’d gone missing, authorities said.

Frederick Lee Clea, 57, told police that he “went too far” when he shot the women at the family’s home in Cheltenham on Saturday, according to a probable cause affidavit provided by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

He said he started arguing with his 41-year-old wife, Latiya Clea, when he couldn’t locate the misplaced magazine and “ransacked” their bedroom.

The fight continued as the irate husband stormed downstairs, where his wife was putting away groceries with her 75-year-old mother, Mekenda Saunders, authorities said.

Frederick told Cheltenham police he then “just started shooting” with a handgun he purchased earlier this year, the affidavit states.

Prior to the shooting, Clea said he and his wife were arguing for about 15 minutes, accusing her of having the loaded magazine in her possession a night earlier, according to the affidavit.

Clea told investigators his wife and mother-in-law “did nothing wrong” before he shot them, adding that Saunders did not participate in the argument, authorities said.

Cops were sent to the couple’s home after getting a call just after noon Saturday for a domestic disturbance.

Latiya and Saunders were found with apparent gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said.

Frederick, who answered the door when cops arrived, told one of the officers that he had “gone too far” and admitted he “shot them,” the affidavit states.

An autopsy found that Latiya was shot five times, while Saunders died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Two children, 10 and 5, who were inside the home during the shooting are now staying with relatives.

Cops had responded to the couple’s residence for domestic violence calls on two prior occasions, including as recently as December, according to the affidavit.

“The combination of a recently purchased gun and anger toward his wife and mother-in-law proved deadly,” Steele said in a statement. “Tragically, two young children are now left without parents and a grandparent in their lives, and the defendant faces spending the rest of his life in prison.”

Investigators recovered a Glock semi-automatic handgun inside the home, Steele said.

Frederick — who was charged with two counts of first- and third-degree murder, as well possessing an instrument of crime – remains held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Center. His preliminary hearing has been set for Aug. 6, Steele said.