Relief For Friends And Family After Alleged Killer's Arrest
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
ROWLETT (CBSDFW.COM) - Evil and mean... are the words of a mother describing the man charged with her daughter's murder, just days before they were set for marriage. And in the neighborhood where victim Laura Grillo lived with her three children, residents and friends are relieved by the news of her fiancé, 38-year-old Loannis "John" Makris' arrest.
"Nobody has to worry about anything. We don't have to be afraid to come out at night," says neighbor and friend Jaime Kepner.
They feared there was a murderer in their midst - the person who pulled the trigger in Laura Grillo's kitchen, killing the mother last November.
"Every time I'd go by, she'd always be out there waving to us. She was a great woman. Wonderful," says Kepner.
Yet no one seemed surprised when they learned Makris, would be charged with her murder. Police say he hired two friends to kill Grillo just days before their wedding. Jesus Trevino, 30, and James Villeda, 29, - both convicted sex offenders - will also be charged. Grillo's mother, Linda Carr, who spoke to CBS11 by phone from Maryland, says she knew the evidence would lead to him.
"He's mean," says Carr. "Loannis was mean to dogs, he's mean to kids. Blah! That man's just mean."
She calls Makris "evil" and says she hates him for taking her daughter's life. She says the news of his arrest brought enormous relief. "I jumped for joy. I was like, 'yes! Thank you!' "
Makris posted frequently on his Facebook page after Grillo's death; writing how much he missed her and how she was the love of his life. On Christmas Eve, he posted a picture holding a balloon that said, in part, "justice will prevail." Grillo's loved ones say, with him behind bars, it can.
"Our kids are still grieving over her death, and so are we. We miss her everyday,"' says Kepner.
All three men are in the Dallas County Jail facing capital murder charges.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)