Slain officer’s family describes stormy relationship with his ex

A pair of Marc Brady’s pale-blue uniform shirts were draped over a bulging trash bag near the edge of his Mount Airy porch.

Inside, a day after the 32-year-old police officer was slain while off-duty and riding his bike not two blocks away, two of Brady’s sisters and a brother-in-law were busy packing up some belongings before locking up and securing the property on the 200 block of E. Garrett St.

The family says this morning they discovered an attempted break-in at the house.

Remembrances

As the sun beat down on the narrow stretch, Betty Brady fondly recalled her brother, the “middle” child in a family of six.

“He was quiet, timid, a loving person,” said Betty, 37, before momentarily breaking off to collect herself. “Very family oriented.”

Betty said Marc, the father of nine children, one just recently born, loved serving with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Creating music and playing video games – the Madden NFL series in particular – were also among his favorite off-duty hobbies.

But, nothing trumped the love he had for his children, who could often be seen playing with others who lived on the street.

“[He] loved his children to death,” said neighbor Sylvia Lloyd, who has lived on the block for more than 20 years, including the four during which Marc lived there. “I cried all day yesterday. That didn’t have to happen.”

The background

On Sunday, Brady was by struck by a white Acura just after 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Musgrave Street and Meehan Avenue as he rode his bike towards an ex-girlfriend’s home, according to police.

He was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center just over a half-hour later.

Police said they suspect that the Acura veered to hit Brady on purpose.

On Monday afternoon, police announced that 35-year-old Kareem Alleyne had been charged with involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide in connection to Brady’s death. Alleyne, of the 900 block of E. Price Street, is currently dating Marc’s ex-girlfriend, according to police.

During a press conference in the lobby of police headquarters at 8th and Race streets, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said the men had “bad blood between them.”

Homicide Capt. James Clark noted at the same event that investigators “believe it was a chance encounter.”

Hurtful relationships

Asked about Brady’s ex-girlfriend, with whom he had six children, Betty said she was “not so nice.”

Betty said the woman, who has not yet been publicly identified, had a hot-and-cold relationship with Marc Brady.

“We know that she was mentally harming him,” said Betty, suggesting the woman had kicked in his door in the past.  She said she believes it was the ex who broke a back window and removed items from the home following his death. Police confirmed that they responded to a report of break-in Tuesday morning at Brady’s house.

Alleyne is currently out on bail, but is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 1.