2 Arrests Made In Chester City Homicide
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) - Chester Police have arrested and charged two suspects for allegedly murdering their 19-year-old former roommate whose body was found wrapped in plastic and duct tape in an open lot in Chester on Thursday.
Brian Anderson, 21, pictured on the right, and Donier White, 20, both of the 1600 block of West 3rd Street in Chester, were taken into custody after police connected them to the murder of Toby Gale, Jr. On Thursday, Chester City workers were in the 100 block of Central Avenue when they discovered a body laying in an open lot on the west side of Central Avenue (see related story).
The workers immediately contacted the authorities who pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The identity of the victim wasn't known until investigators processed his fingerprints later that afternoon.
Chester Police conducted numerous interviews throughout Thursday night and discovered that the victim once lived with two roommates, Anderson and White. At about 9 p.m. on Thursday, police interviewed the former roommates who said they had not seen Gale for a few days, but they did confirm that Gale lived with them earlier this year.
An autopsy on Friday morning revealed that Gale's homicide was caused by blunt force trauma. Police conducted a follow-up interview with Anderson and White on Friday afternoon at their home. Police say they smelled a strong odor of cleaning products in the home and noticed that the kitchen and a middle room appeared to have been recently cleaned.
At about 7 p.m. on Friday, police again interviewed Anderson who allegedly confessed to police that he hit Gale, Jr. on the head with a hammer at their residence and dumped the body in the 100 block of Central Avenue. Soon after, White allegedly told detectives that he assisted Anderson with disposing the body.
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Upon receiving a search warrant, Chester Police seized cleaning products, blood samples, and other evidence from the home.
Anderson and White are charged with first and third degree murder, criminal conspiracy, abuse of a corpse, and related offenses.
Anderson and White are expected to be arraigned Saturday evening by Magisterial District Judge Robert Blythe at which time a preliminary hearing date will be set. The defendants are expected to be remanded to the George W. Hill correctional facility immediately following arraignment.
