What passersby thought was a gory Halloween prank in a Farmingdale Street on Tuesday evening, turned out to be a grisly murder of a Farmingdale State College Professor of 28 years.

The remains of 66-year-old language arts professor, Patricia Ward were discovered outside of her Long Island apartment just seconds away from the Long Island train station. She had been beheaded in her apartment and drug into the street. Her head was found on one side of the street and her headless body on the other.

Witnesses say that the apartment was bloodied, as was the apartment building hallway as well as the step to the entrance. Those witnesses say they saw the killer drag her remains from the home and leave her in the street. After which, they say, he kicked her head across the street before leaving the scene. They thought at first it was a Halloween prank.

The mother suffered multiple injuries and is said to have several broken ribs as well as multiple stab wounds. The murder weapon, was recovered at the scene. Her remains were discovered only minutes before her son, her killer, met his own end.

After performing the grisly murder, 35-year-old Derek Ward stepped in front of a Long Island commuter train approximately a mile away. Ward, who has a history of psychiatric problems, was found to have a loaded Smith and Wesson pistol and approximately 100 valium on his person when he died.

  beheading, crime, derek ward, farminton, long island, murder, new york, patricia ward, suicide, train