Death comes fast or slow

Police have added two names to the city's homicide toll - a Tioga man who died within minutes of an attack, and a West Philadelphia man who hung on for two months.

About 12:50 this morning, police received reports of screams, and upon arriving in the 1200 block of West Hilton Street in North Philadelphia, found a semi-consciousness man who had been beaten.

Robert Earel McNeil, 55, was taken to Temple University Hospital, where were was pronounced dead at 1:13 a.m.

He had been beaten and strangled, possibly during a robbery, about a mile from where he lived, in the 3600 block of North 15th Street, police said.

The other victim, also a man in his 50s, was shot in the back of the head on the afternoon of Aug. 24 at 1400 S. 20th Street in South Philadelphia.

Daniel Roy, 56, of the 5400 block of Catharine Street, was initially in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, but was recently moved to a suburban nursing facility, where he perished late Wednesday afternoon.

Police don't know why he was attacked.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 215-686-3334 or -3335, or the Police Department's anonymous tip line: 215-686-8477 (215-686-TIPS).