Middletown cops: Convicted felon tried to rape, kill estranged wife

Posted: Friday, May 31, 2013

Bristol Township's John Bush had a plan when he broke into his estranged wife’s Middletown home Wednesday, police say.

He would rape her, murder her, then commit suicide, according to court documents.

When Virginia Bush got home from work shortly before 6 p.m., she noticed that the glass of the rear door was smashed out, police said. A neighbor heard the glass break and warned her, according to a family friend.

Instead of going inside, she called police, a decision that resulted in a police standoff with the allegedly armed 66-year-old man. The standoff ended peacefully and Bush now faces attempted murder, attempted rape, burglary and related charges, police said.   

John Bush

When Middletown police entered the home in the 800 block of Walsh Avenue, they had expected to find a burglar. Instead, they said, they found Bush sitting in a chair in the family room holding a .45-caliber Derringer-style handgun and three rounds of ammunition.

An officer drew his weapon about 4 feet from where Bush was seated and ordered him to drop the gun, but Bush refused, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Drop the gun, the officer ordered two more times, court records show.

Bush then pointed the gun at the officer, who retreated as more officers arrived, police said. An hour later, Bush surrendered and was taken into custody, they added.

Virginia Bush told police that the two were in the middle of a divorce and that she moved out of their home a year ago. She also has an active protection from abuse order against Bush that was granted last year and expires in 2015, according to court records.

Bush is a convicted felon and shouldn’t have had a firearm, police said. In an interview with Middletown Detective Andrew Amoroso, Bush said that he knew he wasn’t supposed to possess a handgun but bought it anyway at a yard sale in Virginia last summer.

Bush also said he didn't want a divorce, according to the affidavit.

He said he broke into her home to await her return, then he planned to “strip her naked'' and rape her, before killing her and committing suicide, court documents show.

Bush, who was sent to Bucks County prison, was arraigned Wednesday before Newtown District Judge Donald Nasshorn, who set his bail at 10 percent of $5 million.

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