Retired World Bank Economist Killed

For the record.

At 1:00AM Friday morning, Johan De Leede (83), a retired World Bank economist, was killed by gunshots at his home in  Mason Neck, Virginia.

His wife, upstairs in the home at te time, heard a noise and  went downstairs to investigate and found her husband collapsed on the floor, police said.

"We have no credible evidence or leads at this point. It's a true mystery," said Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. "This truly is a case where we need input from the community. We want to hear about any suspicious activity."

Police said De Leede's wife called authorities at 1:06 a.m., saying that her husband was unresponsive. A neighbor then called 911 to report gunshots in the area, which is in the 6000 block of River Drive. De Leede's wife initially thought he had fallen, police said.

A spokesman at the World Bank said De Leede worked there for nearly 25 years before retiring as a senior economist in 1994. According to the Sentinel Source, Mustafa Soykan, a friend and former colleague, said De Leede's work focused on French-speaking countries in Africa.