Latest news with #doublemurder
BBC News
20-07-2025
- BBC News
St Helens fire: Man arrested on suspicion of double murder
A man has been arrested on suspicion of double murder after the deaths of an elderly couple in a fire at their Eric Greener, 77, and his partner Sheila Jackson, 83, died following the blaze at their home on South John Street, St Helens, on Tuesday, Merseyside Police force said an accelerant was used to start the fire.A 31-year-old from St Helens was arrested earlier and has been taken into custody for questioning, it added. Mr Greener died on Wednesday evening while Ms Jackson succumbed to her injuries on Thursday Supt Rachel Wilson said: "Although an arrest has been made, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to pass on information directly to police or anonymously via Crimestoppers."Extensive inquiries continue, and to that end we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward, particularly if you live in the area of South John Street and recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious at around the time of the incident."She said: "Please do not assume what you know has already been reported to us, as we can quickly make that assessment."She also urged people not to comment or post on social media anything which could jeopardise the investigation. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Washington Post
Lawyer: Fairfax commanders silenced detectives in au pair murder case
The double-murder case against Brendan Banfield involves a theory that he posed as his wife to lure a man to visit her before killing them both with the help of the family's au pair. Banfield's defense attorneys took aim at the impersonation theory in court Thursday, arguing Fairfax police commanders reassigned two detectives who thought some evidence suggested Banfield's wife was the one sending messages to the man who died alongside her. Prosecutors have said that Brendan Banfield, 40, was pretending to be his wife, Christine, in an online account on a fetish-related website when he invited Joseph Ryan to their Herndon-area house for a mock home invasion and rape fantasy so Banfield could kill them both and claim he was interrupting an intruder attack. But a summary of the case written by Detective Brendan Miller last year repeatedly describes the online conversations as between Ryan and Christine Banfield, and states that 'There is no indication that Christine lost control of her devices' during the six weeks before the slayings. The records show that Christine Banfield's laptop and phone were used to contact Ryan and that one of Brendan Banfield's phones had no such contact, though his second phone for work could not be opened. The detectives, who testified Thursday they felt pressured by commanders during the investigation, are still involved in preparing the case for trial this fall, and prosecutors said they were transferred for 'performance management' reasons. But one Fairfax deputy chief acknowledged he had said Miller 'will never work a case in major crimes again' before his transfer and that he disagreed with the detective's conclusions after Miller examined the computers and phones of Brendan Banfield; Christine Banfield, 37; and Ryan, 39. The prosecution argues that Brendan Banfield, an IRS criminal investigator, left his home's front door unlocked that morning, parked a short distance away, and then waited for an alert from his au pair and lover, Juliana Peres Magalhães, to let him know when Ryan arrived. After Ryan went into the house, Peres Magalhães has told police that she called Banfield, who went into the basement with their 4-year-old daughter, then went upstairs and shot Ryan and fatally stabbed his wife. Banfield has also been charged with child abuse for allegedly bringing the young girl to the scene. Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty in October after providing a detailed statement to investigators, saying that she had helped the scheme by posing as Christine Banfield in some phone calls to Ryan. She also said she retrieved a gun and fatally shot Ryan after he survived the first shot, prosecutors said. She agreed to a plea deal in which she would be convicted of involuntary manslaughter and be deported to her native Brazil after Brendan Banfield's trial, now set for Oct. 20. Thursday's hearing before Chief Fairfax Circuit Judge Penney S. Azcarate was ostensibly about the claims by defense attorney John F. Carroll that prosecutors weren't turning over all the evidence in the case. And Carroll argued this included the personnel records of lead homicide detective Kyle Bryant and forensics detective Miller, whom he suspected were forced out of their units because they disagreed with the command staff's view of the case, though the detectives didn't provide specifics of the disagreement. 'This investigation is a theory in search of facts,' Carroll said, a theory 'concocted by non-investigative personnel.' Carroll pointed to an internal affairs complaint filed in January by nine homicide detectives, including Bryant, alleging a hostile work environment caused by conduct from commanders 'that was unwelcome, pervasive and offensive over an extended amount of time.' The Southern States Police Benevolent Association, a police union, has asked the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs to launch its own investigation, a letter to the agency shows. 'I believe there's a conflict between command staff and the rank and file,' Carroll said. 'A hostile work environment can show that.' Azcarate instructed prosecutors to look for relevant evidence of a conflict in Miller's case. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, who watched the hearing, said in a statement afterward that the judge's order required 'prosecutors to access information that is typically not at issue in a criminal matter. We look forward to presenting this case to a jury of community members.' Carroll asked Miller on the stand, 'So the debate is whether there is catfishing or not catfishing?' Catfishing is when a person poses as another person online to deceptively form a relationship, as was allegedly the case with Brendan Banfield. 'Yes,' Miller replied. 'Your findings don't support the theory of catfishing?' Carroll asked. 'I would say that's a matter of perception,' Miller said. An executive summary of Miller's digital forensics analysis outlines how Christine Banfield's phone was used to create a new Gmail account in early January 2023 and that a new photo of her was used when creating a profile on FetLife, a website for those interested in sexual fetishes. Christine Banfield had also messaged the photo to her husband, Miller found. Miller's report repeatedly attributes all actions on Christine Banfield's phone and computer to her, saying that 'approximately 114 messages were exchanged between Christine and Joe' between late January and mid-February 2023 on the FetLife site. 'Christine initiated the transition to Telegram for communication with Joe on 2/19/2023,' Miller wrote. The devices in the case and Miller's report were then sent to an evidence analysis team at the University of Alabama for peer review. The team issued its own report that confirmed Miller's findings on the uses of the devices. Deputy Chief Patrick Brusch was in charge of the Fairfax major crimes bureau in 2024. He said that he had a master's degree in computer forensics, though he never served as a detective, and that he reviewed Miller's findings and concluded 'the data was being incorrectly analyzed. … I would say it was incomplete in the deduction.' Brusch said he expressed concerns to Miller's supervisor 'regarding his abilities as a forensic examiner. It was specific to this case.' He acknowledged telling the supervisor, 'This guy's never gonna work another case in major crimes while I'm the deputy chief,' and soon Miller was moved to the child-abuse unit. Bryant said he joined the homicide unit from the child-abuse unit in 2021, and Banfield was his third case as lead detective. He said he didn't ask to be transferred out of the homicide unit. Bryant said he received guidance, as well as pressure, from the command staff. In addition to meeting with captains and deputy chiefs, he said, he met twice with Police Chief Kevin Davis. He did not say what Davis told him. 'Were you ever asked to adopt a theory that you didn't agree was supported by the investigation?' Carroll asked. 'Yes,' Bryant said, though he said he was never told to testify falsely. He said there were further disagreements after Brendan Banfield was arrested in September 2024. He was moved to the sex crimes unit and then to the digital forensics section in January of this year. Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Clingan asked Bryant if all 12 Fairfax homicide detectives had different theories about the case, in which no one was charged for more than seven months and Brendan Banfield wasn't charged until more than 18 months after the slayings. Bryant said yes. But after Peres Magalhães cooperated and laid out a string of events, Bryant said there was only one theory. Azcarate did not order prosecutors to turn over any documents on Bryant's transfer out of homicide. Carroll said afterward: 'I believe the digital forensics takes the catfishing thing out. And if it comes out, I think it's devastating to their case.' He said Miller's report shows 'there are certain moments where it's clear, it had to be Christine Banfield' who was conversing with Ryan. He said Peres Magalhães told a false story because she was offered a lenient plea deal.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Albanian accused of two murders who got British citizenship under a false name will NOT be deported home because it 'would be flagrant denial of his human rights'
A man accused of committing a double murder in Albania almost 30 years ago, before acquiring British citizenship under a false name will not be deported because it would be a 'flagrant breach' of his human rights, the High Court has ruled. Ilirian Zeqaj, 52, is accused by authorities in Albania of shooting dead two men in the late 1990s, which he denies, before claiming asylum and being granted citizenship in the UK. He challenged a British judge's decision from May last year that he could be extradited to stand trial for a second time, with his lawyers telling a hearing in London last month that extradition would subject him to a breach of his right to a fair trial and that it would be 'unjust and oppressive'. In a ruling on Wednesday, Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr Justice Saini said that Mr Zeqaj should not be extradited and ordered his discharge, finding that he would face trial as a 'consequence of a fundamentally unfair' court process in Albania, which would 'amount to a flagrant denial' of his human rights. In their judgment, the judges said Mr Zeqaj and another man, believed to be his cousin or brother, are alleged to have carried out what was thought to have been a 'revenge killing' of two men at some point in 1998 or 1999. Mr Zeqaj arrived in the UK in November 1999 and claimed asylum under a false name, but the judges said there was 'no evidence that he was fleeing from justice at this time'. They said: 'The appellant says that he made an asylum claim under an assumed Kosovan Albanian name because he was told this would enhance his chances of obtaining asylum in the UK.' Mr Zeqaj was convicted in his absence of both murders and illegal possession of military weapons by an Albanian court in 2002, but was granted asylum in the UK in 2005 and British citizenship the following year. He was extradited to Albania in 2013, but won an appeal against his conviction and was then acquitted at a retrial, having claimed that he was serving others coffee at the time the gunshots were heard and that there was no forensic evidence linking him to the murders. Mr Zeqaj then returned to the UK in December 2014, but an Albanian court quashed his acquittal and ordered a retrial in 2017, at a hearing at which neither Mr Zeqaj or his lawyer were present. After the Albanian authorities sought Mr Zeqaj's extradition for a second time, in May 2024, a British judge ruled that he could be extradited again, which was approved by the Home Secretary in July last year. But Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr Justice Saini said that all five of the judges who quashed Mr Zeqaj's appeal and ordered a retrial had been dismissed from office. They also said that despite the retrial originally beginning in 2017, the judges were dismissed for allegedly 'failing the vetting process'. While the retrial restarted in 2020, it has still not concluded. In their ruling, the judges said that the fact that the five judges who quashed Mr Zeqaj's acquittal had been dismissed was proof that they were 'plainly not an 'independent and impartial' tribunal, and that Mr Zeqaj not being represented was 'unfair and prejudicial'. They added that there 'still seems no end point' to the retrial, despite the 'enhanced obligation on the Albanian authorities to proceed with expedition'.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man wanted in double murder in Boynton retirement community found dead in Delray Beach
Police found the man wanted into connection to a double murder in a Boynton Beach retirement community dead from self-inflicted gunshot wound in Delray Beach on June 27. Detectives and U.S. Marshals deputies found Jyuno Alexander Daniels at about 4:30 p.m. near the train tracks along the 1300 block of Northwest 17th Avenue, north of Atlantic Avenue, according to statement from Boynton Beach police. The department had a warrant to arrest the 32-year-old Texas resident on two charges of first-degree murder with a firearm in the June 23 shooting deaths of Freddy Bedasie and Selicia Noreika, both 63. The shootings took place in a home Noreika owned in the 55-and-older Leisureville community, between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Woolbright Road just west of Interstate 95. Investigators said Daniels had temporarily been residing with the couple. They have not offered details on the relationship or offered a motive for the shootings. Investigators issued a "be on the lookout" alert and warned residents that Daniels should be considered armed and dangerous. "I'm incredibly proud of our Detectives, who worked tirelessly around the clock to locate Daniels. I commend our team's dedication to swiftly identifying and tracking down this individual," Boynton Beach Police Chief Joe DeGiulio said in a prepared statement. "Our hearts go out to the victims' families as we continue this investigation, and we hope this development brings some measure of closure to our community during this difficult time. The shootings startled residents of Leisureville, known for its rows of white, cookie-cutter homes with pastel-colored shutters and one and two-car garages. Many residents are "snowbirds" and leave for the summer months to head back north and many of the houses remain vacant this time of year. Police said they found Noreika dead in a bedroom in her home and Bedasie in a neighbors driveway. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Police: Man wanted in Boynton double murder found dead in Delray Beach
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California fitness influencer killed in ‘act of unimaginable violence'
New details have emerged in a shocking double murder outside a sushi restaurant in San Bernardino County over the weekend that was heard by an off-duty deputy who then shot and killed the gunman. The violence unfolded on June 22 in a strip mall parking lot in the 15200 block of Summit Avenue in Fontana just after 9:30 p.m. Gloria Zamora, a 40-year-old fitness influencer and mother of seven, was on a date with her boyfriend, 43-year-old Hector Garduno, a father of four daughters himself, when the couple was fatally gunned down by Zamora's estranged husband, 45-year-old Thomas Albert Tamayo Lizarraga, Fontana Police told the Los Angeles Times. Investigators said Lizarraga targeted Zamora's boyfriend first before turning the gun on her. An unidentified SBSD deputy who heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene in his vehicle spotted the 45-year-old man running away. Bringing his vehicle to a stop in the street, the deputy confronted Lizarraga before fatally shooting him. Zamora and Garduno were rushed to the hospital where they both succumbed to their injuries. The deadly attack came just weeks after Zamora said on a multi-episode podcast that she planned to leave her husband, KTLA's Sandra Mitchell reported. In a GoFundMe organized by her daughter Jazlynne Zamora, the 40-year-old fitness trainer and model, who had amassed nearly 160,000 followers on her Instagram account, was described as an inspirational beacon for other women, someone who reminded them of their strength and potential. 'Where the cholos in L.A.?' Official accused of inciting violence against feds 'My mom was senselessly taken from us. She was murdered by my stepdad Tomas, in an act of unimaginable violence,' Jazlynne wrote. 'She leaves behind 7 beautiful children, ages 8 to 24, who are now facing a future without our mother's warmth, guidance and unconditional love.' In a GoFundMe organized by Yesenia Garduno, Hector Garduno was described as a devoted, loving and hardworking father who did everything he could for his family and four daughters. 'His passing has left a hole in our hearts and a void in our lives that can never be filled,' Yesenia said. Investigators said the gun believed to have been used by Lizarraga was recovered at the scene and booked into evidence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
