The request came from Laura Whitehead, the daughter of one of the hostages and sister of Tracy Whitehead, 22, Palczynski's former girlfriend. Laura Whitehead, 18, said she notified the Essex precinct Thursday that the family had returned home after hiding in Essex for more than a week.

Laura Whitehead said police agreed to station officers near the family's home in the 7500 block of Lange St., but she said they saw police only twice from Thursday afternoon until Friday night, when Palczynski took her mother, her mother's boyfriend and the couple's 12-year-old son hostage.

"We felt we would be safe, we felt there would be police protection," she said, adding that she left the apartment 10 minutes before Palczynski broke in. "We should have been able to go home. He should have never been able to get there."

Baltimore County police and elected officials have refused to comment on how Palczynski -- who is accused of kidnapping his former girlfriend before allegedly killing four people in a two-day shooting spree -- was able to enter the Whiteheads' home apparently unchallenged by police.

But police sources said yesterday that the department had arranged to put the family up in a hotel in Towson and had warned them not to return home.

"I don't think the family wanted protection," said a source in the county Police Department.

Family members strongly deny that claim.

The standoff began Friday night when Palczynski, 31, shot his way into the apartment and held hostage Lynn Whitehead, 40; her boyfriend, Andy McCord; and their son, Bradley McCord. The hostage crisis followed a 10-day manhunt for Palczynski in eastern Baltimore County neighborhoods and woods.

Relatives of the Whitehead family said yesterday that they are enraged that Palczynski was able to enter the home because, they said, police knew he had already threatened to kill Andy and Bradley McCord.

Susan Milliner, Lynn Whitehead's cousin, said that when Palczynski held Tracy Whitehead captive for 30 hours March7-8, he told her that he was going "to get her family."

Hours after Palczynski kidnapped Tracy Whitehead, her family said, they sought police protection but were denied.

Police declined to comment on the family's assertion.

The family went to Lynn Whitehead's sister's home on Delaware Avenue in Essex. When they arrived, Lynn Whitehead was distraught -- pacing, crying and expecting the worst.

"She did not think Tracy was going to come back alive; she honestly thought that was it with her daughter," Milliner said.

Tracy Whitehead -- who according to family members was beaten with the butt of a rifle and received a broken nose, black eye and multiple bruises in the kidnapping -- joined them in Essex after she escaped from Palczynski at a Middle River motel, family members said.

`Never left the house'

When Tracy Whitehead arrived, family members said, police provided round-the-clock surveillance of the Essex residence. No one left for days.

"They were fearful," Milliner said. "They never left the house, afraid that Joby [Palczynski's nickname] would see them driving around."

Tracy Whitehead was having severe nightmares, including dreams that Palczynski would kill her family, relatives said.

"She would wake up during the night screaming and crying," Milliner said.

By late last week, Lynn Whitehead was becoming restless. They had spent the week playing cards, recalling old family stories and monitoring news reports. By Thursday, the number of Palczynski sightings had greatly decreased and county police were beginning to scale back their manhunt.

After several days living with up to 14 people in a three-bedroom duplex, family members were becoming anxious to return home.

"I just got stuck in the house every day that week, and with all kinds of distractions, we just wanted to go home," Laura Whitehead said.

Lynn Whitehead also wanted to return to the job she had taken three months ago as a clerk at the Dollar Tree in Eastpoint Mall. Laura Whitehead, a student at Dundalk High School, said the family notified police, then returned home about noon Thursday. Tracy Whitehead remained in police custody.

`I saw two police cars'

Initially, Laura Whitehead said, there was a police presence in their Dundalk neighborhood, but family members were nervous that they were no longer under round-the-clock surveillance.

"At the most I saw two police cars during that time," she said.

Nonetheless, Bradley went out with friends and played basketball at nearby Berkshire Elementary School.

"Everybody in the neighborhood knew Palczynski was coming for [the family], but he was with a bunch of friends. Evidently, he was not too worried," said Jack Beale, 29, who lives in the 900 block of Elton St.

Lynn Whitehead's other son, Bobby, 15, also was seen playing with friends Thursday afternoon.

The family slept peacefully Thursday night, Laura Whitehead said, and Friday morning her mother went to work.

It was Lynn Whitehead's first job outside the home. She had dropped out of high school in the 10th grade to marry Robert Whitehead. A year later, she gave birth to Tracy.

Family members describe her as a housewife who likes to watch soap operas, knit, and clean and decorate her home.

Lynn and Robert Whitehead had two more children before separating about 13 years ago, family members said.

A short time after the separation, Lynn Whitehead began dating Andy McCord. Their son, Bradley, was born in 1987.

Neighbors and friends describe Andy McCord as an "all-American guy" who volunteers many hours with Dundalk youth baseball leagues.

Dispute over police visit

Police sources said a county police sergeant visited the Whitehead home an hour before Palczynski arrived.

But residents were skeptical of that assertion.

"There was not one cop around here that day," said Rose Workman, a resident of the 700 block of Allsworth St., about a block from the Whitehead home.

Family members said Lynn, Laura and Bobby Whitehead and Andy and Bradley McCord were all home Friday evening.

Bobby and Laura Whitehead both left minutes before Palczynski broke into the apartment shortly after 9 p.m.

Donna Collins, 41, a family friend who lives across the street, said she visited Lynn Whitehead about 20 minutes before Palczynski's arrival.

"When I left, she told me she was waiting for Andy to come home [with food]," Collins said. "She was waiting to eat Chinese food."

About 9: 30 p.m., Collins said, she called Lynn Whitehead, but Palczynski got on the phone.

"He said, `I want Tracy, Donna,' " Collins said. "He said, `Where is Tracy?' I said, `I don't know.' I said, `Joby, just don't hurt the family.' He sounded really off the hook. It really scared me."

Sun staff writers Andrea Siegel, Dan Thanh Dang and Nancy A. Youssef contributed to this article.

Originally published on Mar 20 2000