A 23-year-old woman allegedly involved in the murders of her three roommates in Virginia was taken into custody after a chase on a highway in upstate New York, police said Friday.
Alyssa Jane Venable was wanted by authorities after members of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office found two men and a woman dead “from upper body trauma” during a welfare check Tuesday evening in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the sheriff’s office said.
The victims were identified as Robert John McGuire, 77; Gregory Scott Powell, 60 and Carol Anne Reese, 65.
“After further investigation and evidence collection, it was discovered that a roommate committed this heinous crime,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement identifying Venable as the suspect. She was wanted on three counts of manslaughter and one firearms charge, the sheriff’s office said.
New York State Police troopers took Venable into custody Thursday evening, more than 300 miles from Fredericksburg. She was driving a gray Honda Civic on Interstate 86 shortly after 5:30 p.m. when troopers tried to stop her, but she refused, state police said. Troopers chased her and authorities used a tire deflation device that caused the Civic to crash, the sheriff’s office said, adding that the speed had reached 100 mph. State police were assisted by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
Venable was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, state police said. She is being held in the Steuben County Jail. State police said troops will proceed with extradition arrangements.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. State police said they could not comment on a possible motive.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
