Police: Feasterville murder victim planned to marry later this month

Posted: Sunday, April 21, 2013 

Violeta Isackov was set to marry on April 28. She had an appointment for a final fitting of her light rose-colored wedding dress Thursday night.

But the 45-year-old Northampton resident never showed, never even made it out of her car. She was shot dead in the parking lot of the Feasterville dress shop, allegedly by ex-husband Kenneth Philipp.

Philipp, who was shot dead less than an hour later, had been scheduled to appear before a Bucks County judge on April 29 for a parole violation related to a protection from abuse order that Isackov had against him.

Kenneth Philipp

One day after police say Philipp killed Isackov before he was shot and killed by a Northampton police officer during a confrontation a few miles away, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler could not say definitively if jealousy motivated the 50-year-old Feasterville man.   

Philipp was released from Bucks County prison on April 2 -- where he had been locked up since November for violating a protection from abuse order barring contact with Isackov -- after posting 10 percent of his $100,000 bail on the civil contempt charge, according to the county’s prothonotary office.

A preliminary investigation by Bucks County Detectives has found that Philipp, of Lillian Street, followed his ex-wife as she pulled into the parking lot of the Bustleton Avenue shop around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Before Isackov could put the car in park, Philipp rammed the rear of her Nissan, trapping her inside, Heckler said.

He then got out of his Lincoln Town Car and walked to the driver’s side window where he pumped three shotgun shells into her chest while Isackov’s 16-year-old daughter was in the passenger seat, Heckler said.

Her daughter, whose father is not Philipp, slightly injured her hand after she was hit with birdshot as she tried to protect her mother by pulling her into the passenger seat with her, Heckler said. She was treated and released from St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown.

After killing his ex, Philipp drove to Northampton, where a patrol officer spotted the suspect's car. The officer, who has not been identified, called for backup and started following the Town Car with his lights and sirens off.

Philipp turned onto Buck Road in front of the Pheasant Valley shopping center where he stopped his car, got out and fired three shotgun blasts at the officer, who was struck in the chest but not seriously injured because he was wearing a protective vest.

As Philipp got back into his car, the officer fired off two clips, hitting Philipp in the head, Heckler said. The shooting remains under investigation and Heckler expects a final report to be issued within a week. The officer who shot Philipp was treated and released at St. Mary and he has been placed on administrative leave until the DA’s report is finished.

The Bucks County coroner performed autopsies on Saturday. Philipp died of four gunshot wounds: two to the head and two to the chest; and Isackov died of three shotgun wounds to her left arm and chest, Coroner Dr. Joseph Campbell said.

"Slap on the Wrist"

The couple was well known to Northampton police, said Northampton Police Lt. Mike Clark, who described the police contacts with the two as “a little bit of everything.”

Court records show that Philipp had a record of aggravated and simple assault and terroristic threat arrests dating to 2005, but he was never convicted of those charges. His first wife also had a protection from abuse order against him, according to court records.

Isackov and her two daughters testified to Philipp’s version of events at his 2010 trial on charges that he assaulted four police officers during a confrontation at the couple’s Northampton home.

Philipp claimed that he had accidentally dropped a glass while officers charged at him during the incident. Police contended that Philipp was drunk and broke a glass and made an “aggressive” move toward the officers and then kicked them. The officers were responding to an abandoned 911 call at the home.

Philipp was found not guilty of aggravated and simple assault charges, but convicted of resisting arrest. He was sentenced to two years probation, according to court records.

Most recently, Isackov had been cooperating with prosecutors, Heckler said.

“She genuinely was afraid,” he said.

Northampton police recently filed charges against Philipp after he was caught outside Isackov’s West Lynford Road home on Nov. 1. Police learned Isackov had an active protection from abuse order against Philipp according to court records, and took him into custody. They later found a 6-inch knife with an orange blade on the passenger seat of his car and scratches with an orange stains on several doors and windows of the home , according to a probable cause affidavit.

Court records show a county judge granted Isackov a protection order in May 2011 and it was continued in December. The couple’s divorce was finalized last October.

On Feb. 28, Philipp pleaded guilty in Bucks County court to possession of an instrument of crime, defiant trespassing and loitering and prowling in connection with the Nov. 1 arrest.

He was also charged with terroristic threats and stalking, but the district attorney declined to prosecute those charges, records show. Heckler said his office didn’t pursue the charges because they didn’t have enough evidence.

“Terrorist threats is a tough charge,” the DA added. “It’s a charge that has been blown way out of what people who drafted the crimes code intended.”

Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman sentenced Philipp to three years probation, Heckler said (though court records list three months probation), and ordered him to seek alcohol treatment and have no contact with Isackov, according to court records.

But, the most recent case violated Philipp's 2010 probation and on April 1 he appeared before Bateman again for a probation violation hearing where he was sentenced to 23 months in prison, but given time served and immediately paroled.

One aspect of the case that Heckler wants answered is how Philipp managed to get the shotgun he used to kill Isackov and fire on police.

Individuals with active protection from abuse orders are court-ordered to surrender firearms. A PFA order also would show up in a criminal background check required to buy a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer, according to the Pennsylvania State police. Pennsylvania does not require background checks for private sales of shotguns and rifles.

The director of the county’s domestic violence program on Friday said she wants to see the courts more thoroughly and carefully investigate the circumstances in play when sentencing individuals for violating protection from abuse orders.

“All too often there are circumstances where people who make threats, not only to individuals, but the community as a whole have not gotten maximum sentencing,” said Ifeoma Aduba, executive director of A Woman’s Place, which runs a shelter for battered women. “If someone is violating protection order three times, it’s not a slap on the wrist at that point.”

"A Beautiful Person"

Meanwhile at Elegant Fashion Design on Friday, glass shattered by Philipp’s shotgun blasts littered the parking lot surrounded by orange paint marking police evidence.

“A lot of my friends called me to see if I was OK,” shop owner Irina Bobrovnikova said. “They drove by and saw all the police cars Thursday.”

Bobrovnikova recalled Isackov as a “beautiful person,” who worked hard as a hair stylist at her own salon.

The day before she was murdered, Isackov visited the store with her daughters to show them her wedding dress. Her fiancé was with her, she said.

“Her fiancé wanted to see the dress and she said he couldn’t. She was laughing about it,” she added. “They were very happy together.”

Staff writer George Mattar contributed to this story

Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia