‘Great relief’ 2 held in Troy killings
TWO SUSPECTS pleaded not guilty Saturday in the brutal executions of two women and two children inside an upstate basement apartment just four days before Christmas.
Justin Mann, 24, and James White, 38, both of Schenectady, were arrested in their hometown late Friday for the quadruple homicide in nearby Troy.
Mann — who is free on parole — appeared to break down after a court appearance where both men were arraigned on one count of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder.
“I don’t have to tell you what a good feeling it is to have these two in custody,” said Troy Police Chief John Tedesco. “It’s a great relief.” No additional arrests were expected in the killings. Both accused killers were taken into custody without incident at Mann’s home, and each had a prior rap sheet, officials said.
All four victims were found with their hands and ankles bound and their throats cut, the Albany Times-Union reported. The killings occurred around 9 p.m. on Dec. 21.
Two knives were reportedly discovered in the apartment, and the quartet of victims were found lying close to one another.
Killed were Shanta Myers, 36, and her girlfriend Brandi Mells, 22, along with Myers’ 5-year-old daughter Shanise and 11-yearold son Jeremiah.
Some two dozen relatives and supporters of the victims turned out in court, some wearing Troy Boys & Girls Club sweatshirts to honor Jeremiah — a club member known to friends as “JJ.”
“He was the quintessential ‘Club Kid’ who impacted the lives of so many staff, children and teens, parents and volunteers,” read a GoFundMe page established to help the Myers family.
Authorities confirmed that one of the suspects knew one of the victims, but declined to go into detail or discuss the motive behind the savage killings.
The bodies were discovered Tuesday, setting off a manhunt that ended with the arrests about 16 miles away from the crime scene.
“The rapid apprehension and arrest of two suspects in connection with this tragic crime is welcome news for our community,” said Troy Mayor Patrick Madden. “My heart remains with both the Myers and Mells families.”
The murder suspects were due back in court this Thursday.
Tedesco expressed his horror at the ugliness of the killings after the bodies were discovered by a property manager.
“After being in business for almost 42 years I can’t describe the savagery of a person like this,” Tedesco said. “I don’t know of a word for it.”
The arrests came as a relief to the Mells family, said the slain woman’s uncle Keith McCutchen.
“She was such an easygoing, loving person,” McCutchen told the Albany Times-Union. “I can imagine the look in her eyes when this was happening, like ‘Why would anyone do this to me?’”
Myers also had a 15-year-old son, Isaiah Smith, who was out of town on a retreat when the slaughter took place. The teen said he feared for his life ahead of the arrests.
The GoFundMe effort collected more than $35,000 from 866 donors, with the money targeted to help cover the cost of funerals, provide mental health services to local kids and assist Isaiah Smith.