Full Breakdown
Murder-Suicide in Queens: Set Decorator Mary Kate Golding and Husband Joseph Azzaretto
7/24/2026, 11:24:09 PM
Core Event
On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, New York City police responded to a 911 call reporting an assault inside an apartment at 18-64 41 Street in Astoria, Queens. Officers found 34-year-old Mary Kate Golding, a set decorator known for *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* and other television productions, with a fatal stab wound to her back. Emergency medical services pronounced her dead at the scene. Hours later, police located an unidentified male, later identified as Golding’s 33-year-old husband Joseph Azzaretto, unconscious near Astoria Park South and Shore Boulevard. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators are treating the two deaths as a possible murder-suicide. The couple’s 11-month-old son was found unharmed in the apartment.
Background & Context
Golding graduated from New York University in 2015 and built a decade-long career in film and television, contributing to series such as *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel*, *Goosebumps*, *Hawkeye*, *Gotham*, and the documentary *Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer*. At the time of her death she was slated to work as an assistant set decorator on Sean Durkin’s upcoming feature *Deep Cuts*.
Joseph Azzaretto’s family has a documented history of domestic violence. In 2020, his younger brother Nicholas Azzaretto shot and killed their father, Frank Azzaretto, during a family dispute in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Nicholas pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November 2021 and received a sentence of ten years’ probation and two years of electronic monitoring.
Timeline
- Just after midnight, July 21, 2026 – Police arrive at Golding’s Astoria apartment and find her with a stab wound to the back; she is pronounced dead.
- Later that morning – Officers respond to a call about an unconscious person near Astoria Park; the individual is identified as Joseph Azzaretto and is pronounced dead.
- Subsequent hours – Police confirm the infant son is unharmed and begin a murder-suicide investigation.
Data & Statistics
- Mary Kate Golding: age 34; set decorator on at least two dozen productions.
- Joseph Azzaretto: age 33 at time of death.
- Their child: 11 months old, unharmed.
- Azzaretto’s brother, Nicholas: pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 2021; sentenced to ten years’ probation.
Official Statements & Responses
A New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed the timeline of the calls and the condition of the victims, stating that the investigation is ongoing and that no arrests have been made. The department also noted that there was “no sign of criminal involvement” in the husband’s death, reinforcing the murder-suicide hypothesis.
Criticism & Opposition
The institute called for broader preventive measures, including safe housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and community support, to address the systemic factors that can lead to tragedies such as this.
