After committing a triple murder, 29-year-old Travis Blake, sneaked out of the basement he committed the dastardly act and fled.
But, a repugnant smell from one of the deceased’s bedroom, Vashawnna Malcolm, led to the discovery of the remains of the three Jamaicans murdered.
The police found 55-year-old Karlene Barnett, girlfriend of the accused, her 36-year-old son Dervon Brightly, and her 22-year-old niece Vashawnna Malcolm, dead in their apartment.
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According to police indictment sheet, Blake is said to be the 55-year-old Barnett’s boyfriend, while Brightly, a security guard in Times Square, is the son. Malcolm was visiting the family for a summer break as a nursing student of the University of Technology, Jamaica.
Presenting the facts to the jury, the district attorney said the witness resides a few meters away from where the crime was committed.
The witness called the police after detecting a repugnant smell exuding from Malcolm’s bedroom, which upon further checks, revealed the remains on the floor after opening the door.
Police investigators found Malcolm lying prostate on the second floor of the bedroom, undressed from the waist down and tied with a duct tape with wounds on her chest.
Upon further checks, the police found blood stains to the bedroom where Barnett was murdered with visible head trauma injuries and wounds on other parts of her body.
Brightly was found in the basement by the police with head trauma injuries as well and wounds on other parts of his boy.
All the victims were found dead two days after the incident.
Surveillance videos retrieved by the police showed that Blake made entry into the residence on June 22 through the backyard at around 2:50a.m., with blood trickling from a hand injury and using a hammer to strike a nail into the beam of a wood.
The police indictment sheet further stated that his girlfriend and son entered the residence earlier but never came out of the house after Blake had gained entry.
The police retrieved the evidence of the weapons used in committing the incident and other related exhibits such a hammer, screw driver, bloodstained bucket and bottles of household cleaner.
The police managed to track Blake to the Bar Harbor, Maine and caused him to be extradited on June 30 to face criminal prosecutions in Queens.
The accused, Blake, was found guilty by a grand jury guilty of murder charges and other crimes linked to the death of his girlfriend and family, reported by Loop News.
The Queens District Attorney, Melinda Katz, said the accused was charged with first degree murder, three counts of murder in the second degree, and other two counts of criminal possession of weapon.
