5 Philadelphia Men Charged For Murders Of Virginia Couple And Teen

Men from Pennsylvania were charged yesterday with the murders of a Virginia couple and the woman’s 14-year-old son. They were killed in a gruesome manner, authorities claim, with all the victims’ throats slashed.

Michael Coleman (39), Rachel Ozuna (34) and her son, Kyruss Ozuna (14), were murdered in their Spotsylvania County home, Fox News reported. They were found dead in their home last May 2019. Authorities also found a baby and a toddler alive.

The killings have become a very controversial issue and have “torn several families” apart. The nature of the murders left a huge impact on the community — the victims' throats were slit open. This was what Spotsylvania Sheriff Roger Harris said to reporters from Fredericksburg, Virginia, where the couple was from.

The men who were charged with first-degree murder were Philadelphia residents: James Christopher Myers (30), Jamal Kelvin Bailey (30), Hugh Cameron Green (30), Durward Anthony Allen(27) and Montel Wilson (26). Four of the suspects were already in custody in Pennsylvania for different charges.

Crime in Philadelphia hasn’t abated any. Even under lockdown, a shooting occurred in Kensington, marking the 111th homicide case in the state, according to NBC. This also added to the high number of murders since 2007.

No arrests have been made so far and the authorities declined to release a description of any suspects. The continued rise of violence-related cases in the city prompted Mayor Jim Kenney to admit that such crimes have always been a struggle for the authorities. He added that they have been trying to overcome this even before the lockdown began. He also attributed the violence to a “gun culture” in the state and the poverty that is currently spreading in the city.

Managing director for the Office of the Mayor, Brian Abernathy, said that the police department has deployed more officers on the street as a consequence of the rising crime rate. He also cited that “overarching crime rates” have been going down, but violent crime rates have gone up.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Harris thanked the detectives of Spotsylvania for their efforts in completing the investigation of the crime, as well as the other agencies that have been involved in the case.