Local Man Charged in Double Murder

BRADFORD, MCKEAN COUNTY---A Bradford man is in custody, charged with the murders of a young woman and her infant daughter.

 Waide Nolf, 38, is facing two charges of criminal homicide and was arraigned in district court early Saturday morning.

Nolf was one of at least six adults living in a house on Pleasant St. in Bradford where the murders tool place. All of them were considered suspects and were interviewed extensivelt by police, but investigators quickly identified Nolf as the primary suspect.

After further interviews Friday, police said Nolf admitted to becoming angry with another residents of the house, 24-year-old Tonya Haight, and pushing her into the bathtub while she was holding her 3 1/2-week-old daughter. He said he then turned on the faucet and held Haight's head under the water until she stopped resisting him. He said the baby was floating in the water and he assumed she was dead.

A 911 call was made from someone in the house, and when police arrived on the scene they found the child, showing no signs of life, in the kitchen. An adult was reportedly attempting to revive the infant.

 The officer was then informed that there was another deceased person in the house, which is when he found Tamara Haight lying unresponsive on the bathroom floor.

Investigators say Nolf gave a statement to police that day that was quickly discredited.

"He'd give an interview at that time, give a statement to the police department," said State Police Public Information Officer Bruce Morris, "They developed further leads off that, looking at what other statements people had made as well as evidence that was gathered at the scene. They developed him as the suspect to look further in to as the investigation went on."

This case strikes a nerve with Bradford residents because on of the victims was a young woman and the other was an innocent infant. The double murder comes six months after a pregnant woman was stabbed to death in Bradford, and residents are beginning to worry about the crime there.

Police said the murders were isolated incidents, and residents should feel safe. In fact, they said that Eugene Nolf was arrested and charged so quickly because of the collaboration of city, county, and state agencies.

"It shows that the system does work," Morris said, "It does work appropriately. It does work well, and it brought this to a conclusion, at least to this point. Now we'll let the judicial system so what it needs to do."

Residents don't need to worrk about the suspect in this case being on the streets of Bradford any time soon. State law dictates that no bail be offered in charges of criminal homicide, so Nolf will remain in the McKean County Jail for now.