A couple was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder on Saturday in Madison County, Illinois. The couple was on the run after killing a woman in Alabama. The multi-state crime spree ended with the arrest which happened last Thursday in Missouri city of Hazelwood. The couple knew the victims that were attacked 20 miles northeast of St. Louis.
The two suspects Brady Witcher, 41, and Brittany McMillan, 28, who have been suspected of a killing and other violent crimes in Alabama were caught in St. Louis after killing a woman and her son in their home. They later stole the car and were planning on running away when the cops caught up to them.
Nine counts of murder and still counting
The deaths of Shari Yates, 59, her son Andrew Brooks, 30, and another man, John McMillian, 32, led to the Alabama couple and their getaway car. They were arrested for kidnapping and capital murder in the first degree for the killings of the three people found in the Bethalto house. Yates and the others were killed by Witcher who pulled the trigger and 'executed' them earlier on Thursday. According to the charges produced by the officials the suspects used a semi-automatic gun on the victims. All the victims were shot in their head.
During a news conference Lt. Brian Koberna of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said that the crimes were 'brutal and heinous', and that they were one of the most evil individuals he has seen in his entire career. Crystal Uhe, the top assistant prosecutor with the Madison County State's Attorney's Office said that McMillan cooperated with Witcher in conducting these crimes.
McMillan used to live in Bethalto, but she was not related to the victims. The police said that they were there to steal the car and other belongings.
Not a random act
According to Uhe, this was not a random act. The suspects arrived in Bethalto after a series of crimes which involved kidnapping and killing of Kellie Ann Hughes, 31, whose body was found in the woods in Alabama's Birmingham. They were also involved in armed robberies, kidnapping and car theft. The FBI alerted the Illinois officials of the couple's location in Days Inn hotel in Hazelwood, where they found Yates' vehicle.
