A renowned cancer doctor in New York City k*illed her young child with a gun and then kil*led herself.
Investigators looking into the de*aths of Dr. Krystal Cascetta, 40, and her baby didn’t give many details right away. An official statement from the New York State Police said that the scene at the family’s Westchester County home was “consistent with a mur*der/su*icide.”
According to a preliminary investigation, Cascetta, who state police called a “renowned” oncologist at Mount Sinai, went into her baby’s room around 7 a.m. on Saturday. State police say the doctor shot the child and then shot herself.
Police told the Westchester Journal News/Lohud on Sunday that the baby was a girl and Cascetta’s only child. The baby had been about four and a half months old, according to an online gift registry that the newspaper found.
Sources say that Cascetta’s parents were home during the tragedy while her husband was not.
A neighbour told the New York Post that “ambulances and police” had been called to the family’s house at least twice in the past few months. It wasn’t clear right away why the response was given.
Ascetta was in charge of Mount Sinai’s infusion centre in Queens. He had also worked as an assistant professor of medicine at the college’s private medical school. An official bio says that she was a “active investigator of bre*ast cancer clinical trials.”
She graduated from Albany Medical College and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honour Society for “demonstrating excellence in humanistic clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service,” according to her bio.
Several of her former patients remembered her on social media over the weekend, saying nice things about how hard she worked and how caring she was.
A public speaker and author of a memoir called it “a shocking and terrible tragedy.” “She was a star in her field; she worked hard, was kind, was very smart, and was an excellent athlete.”
Crews then talked about a time when Cascetta answered a “call to duty” and worked in the hospital’s emergency room. This seemed to be a reference to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crews remembered, “I was so scared for her.”
Another patient, Yale Brevda, said, “Her kind, gentle way was refreshing and reassuring.” “She would listen to me calmly and answer every question I asked with care.” She was a doctor that I felt very comfortable with. I’ll miss her!”
A patient named Maureen Daly wrote, “Dr. Krystal Cascetta, you were true to your job.” “You cared about your patients and were very compassionate.” I’ll miss talking to you.
“Just heartbroken and shocked by the de*ath of Krystal Cascetta, a beautiful and wonderful doctor,” Eri Barr said. Barr went to Albany and did her residency with Cascetta. Barr also wrote in another post, “I always looked up to her.”
Cascetta married Timothy Talty in 2019. Talty seems to run a nutrition bar business, and his wife worked as a medical consultant for him.
“Krystal’s friends and family will tell you that she was born to be a doctor. “Krystal herself will tell you that she has always wanted to be a doctor; as a child, you could find her wrapping her dolls in gauze,” the page for the business says.
The best friend of Krystal’s mother died of bre*ast cancer when she was in the eighth grade. This event that changed Krystal’s life helped her decide that Medical Oncology would be her field of study.
Crews wrote on Facebook, “I don’t know what was going on in her life that made her think this was the best way for her story to end, but I do know that a lot of survivors, patients, and coworkers are heartbroken.”
“I’ll really miss her. She really cared about her patients, and I’m glad I was one of them.
