Husband, wife found dead in home, had been cut by chain saw

LOWER MORELAND, PA -- Action News has confirmed through family friends, neighbors, and records the identities of the couple found dead inside their Lower Moreland, Montgomery County home.

They are identified as Chris and Nicole Peppelman, husband and wife.

Police say their young son found discovered their bodies around 12:50 p.m. Tuesday inside their home the 1100 block of Country Lane and called 911.

A team of first responders, police, and Montgomery County detectives swarmed the property.

Investigators say the 48-year-old husband and his 43-year-old wife had severe cuts from what appears to be a chainsaw.

"The death of the female seems to be an apparent homicide, however, the investigation is continuing. This is preliminary at this point," Kevin Steele of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

The District Attorney's Office has not released the names of the homeowners but family, friends, and records say they were Nicole and Chris Peppelman, who operated a nearby Huntingdon Valley excavating company.

Action News spoke with family friend Eric Shallcross who went to high school with Nicole.

"Outgoing, everyone loved her. Really honestly nothing bad to say about her. He was a great guy to his friends. The people who knew him, he really was a good person," Shallcross said.

But longtime neighbor Glenn Nathan and family friends say the couple's marriage was in trouble and the wife along with their three sons had moved out.

Action News is told police even responded in the past for domestic issues.

Tuesday night at the family's church Bryn Athyn Catherdal, those who knew them prayed and held a candlelight vigil.

"We're going to miss them is my thought. They were beautiful people, beautiful children and it's awful it's absolutely awful," Nathan said.

Autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday to determine the causes of death.