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AVOCA, N.Y. (AP) — A 23-year-old woman wanted in the deaths of her three roommates in Virginia was taken into custody after a chase on an upstate New York highway, police said Friday.
Police began searching for Alyssa Jane Venable after the bodies of her roommates, all in their 60s or 70s, were discovered Tuesday during a welfare check in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Police said she was wanted on three counts of second-degree murder and a firearms charge.
Venable was taken into custody by New York State Police troopers Thursday evening, more than 260 miles (418 kilometers) north of Fredericksburg. She was driving a sedan on Interstate 86 when troopers tried to pull her over, but she refused. The car crashed after running over a tire deflation device, according to state police.
Venable was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening and was being held in the Steuben County jail on Friday. Troopers said they will proceed with extradition arrangements.
A phone message was left Friday at the Steuben County Public Defender’s office in New York.
It was not immediately clear why Venable was in New York. Troopers were trying to piece together a timeline of the last several days and were seeking information from the public.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office in Virginia identified the victims as Robert John McGuire, 77; Gregory Scott Powell, 60; and Carol Anne Reese, 65.
ORIGINAL STORY (6/6/24, 4:51 P.M.)
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Authorities in Virginia are searching for a 23-year-old woman wanted in the deaths of her three roommates, all in their 60s or 70s.
Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office deputies went to a home in Fredericksburg on Tuesday night for a welfare check and found two men and a woman dead with upper body trauma, the office said Wednesday in a social media post.
Investigators determined that the suspect was the victims’ roommate, Alyssa Jane Venable, the sheriff’s office said. Venable is wanted on three counts of second-degree murder and a firearms charge. Detectives said Thursday that they are still looking for Venable and are pursuing leads on her whereabouts.
The sheriff’s office identified the victims as Robert John McGuire, 77; Gregory Scott Powell, 60; and Carol Anne Reese, 65. A spokesperson for the office did not immediately respond to a request for additional information on Venable and how she came to live with the victims. A phone message was left with the sheriff’s office.
Court records show that Venable was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in May. The public defender’s office in Fredericksburg, which is listed as her attorney in that case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An email was sent to the office.
