A manhunt that stretched across four states ended Wednesday evening when a University of Connecticut senior accused in two killings was taken into custody in Hagerstown, Maryland, according to CNN and Connecticut State Police.
Connecticut State Police said Peter, 23, was arrested without incident and that no law enforcement officers or Peter were injured. Police said more information would be shared Thursday. He had not been tried or convicted of anything at the time of his arrest, and the case was still developing.
How the case unfolded
According to Connecticut State Police, it began Friday in Willington, Connecticut, where Theodore Sr., 62, was killed and another person was hurt by what police described as an edged weapon. Police said Peter was identified as the suspect within hours, and local, state and federal agencies began searching for him.
On Sunday, Willington police reported that a home had been broken into and several firearms were stolen. CNN reported that hours later, police received a 911 call asking for a welfare check at a home in Derby, Connecticut. Officers found Nicolas, 23, dead. A Volkswagen Jetta was taken from the location, and police said another person was kidnapped and later found unharmed in Paterson, New Jersey. According to police, that person identified Peter as the suspect.
Authorities said the stolen Jetta was later found in New Jersey near the Pennsylvania border. The superintendent of Newton Public Schools confirmed that Peter and Nicolas graduated from the same high school in 2015.
Appeals to surrender
During the search, investigators said they were working with the suspect’s family. At a Monday night news conference, the family’s attorney, Michael Dolan, read a message from Peter’s parents asking him to turn himself in, saying it was time for the healing process to begin. The family also offered condolences to the families of the victims.
Police made their own public appeal on Tuesday, saying they wanted a peaceful end and were ready to listen.
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The break in the case
Police said the break came Tuesday when witness statements, photos and video from a Pennsylvania convenience store matched the suspect’s description. Authorities said the man in the images got into an Uber and was driven to Hagerstown. On Wednesday, Peter was found in a wooded area near a gas station there and arrested by the U.S. Marshals and the FBI. Police said a firearm believed to be connected to the killings was recovered. Authorities have not said what the motive may have been.
Baller Alert will keep following this story as officials release more details.
