DELMAR TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania — A quiet rural home became the scene of an unthinkable tragedy when a 61-year-old woman was shot and killed by her husband during an argument — and the messages she sent just hours before may be the most haunting part of the story.
Penny Boom never made it out of her living room.
She Warned Someone Before It Happened
That evening, Penny sent a chilling text to a close friend — a former neighbor the couple both knew well.
“I told him I was going to leave and he said he would shoot me,” she wrote. Then, moments later: “Just so someone knows if anything happens to me is him.”
A neighbor reported hearing a loud pop coming from the direction of the home between 8 and 9 p.m.
‘I Did Something Bad’
Hours passed before anyone called for help.
Between 3 and 4 a.m., Kenneth Boom, 62, tried reaching another friend 11 times. When that friend finally picked up, Kenneth’s words were direct.
“I did something bad,” he allegedly said — and explained he had shot his wife after she threatened to leave him during an argument about their cats.
The friend urged him to call 911. Kenneth waited until 5:15 a.m. to make that call.
What Police Found
When troopers arrived, they found Penny Boom in the living room, a 12-gauge shell casing nearby. Officers noticed Kenneth’s speech was slurred and detected the smell of alcohol.
Kenneth told police the gun went off while he was cleaning it. But when confronted with his wife’s texts, he struggled to explain them away.
He has been charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and possession of an instrument of crime.
His next court date is scheduled for August 11.
Penny’s family remembered her simply: “My mom was loved by all who knew her.”
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