Two people formerly from the Shamokin area are in custody in Virginia in connection with a Christmas Day murder in Texas.
Duane Allen Haley, 47, a registered sex offender, and Judy Britton, 43, who was charged last fall with stealing from her Shamokin employer, are charged with killing Hamadi Swei, 51, a Libyan national, at his Fort Worth apartment.
According to a story in Thursday's (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram and a press release from the city's police department, Swei was stabbed after Haley and Britton allegedly went to his apartment to rob him. Britton had worked with Swei, according to police.
Swei's decomposing remains were found Jan. 30 in the enclosed porch of his apartment after an apartment consultant smelled a foul odor and looked over a wall to see the man lying facedown.
According to the Star-Telegram, a police report states that a box cutter was found under Swei's leg and a kitchen knife near his right hand. Also, a broken bottle was next to his head and there were glass fragments on his body.
The pair were arrested, according to the press release, after homicide Detective Tom Boetcher received information on May 25 that Haley and Britton were discussing Swei's slaying in Warsaw County, Va. Boetcher and detective Tom O'Brien traveled to Virginia, and warrants for capital murder were obtained for the two suspects.
Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar from the Virginia State Police told The News-Item on Thursday that a joint investigation involving the Westmoreland Sheriff's Office, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Richmond Field Office and the Fort Worth Texas Police Department resulted in the charges being filed.
Molnar said Britton was arrested without incident Wednesday by special agents with the Virginia State Police and deputies from the Westmoreland Sheriff's Office. Haley had been incarcerated in the Northern Neck Regional Jail on charges of failing to register as a sex offender after being arrested by the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Investigative Unit Friday, May 27.
The Star-Telegram reported Haley and Britton are both being held at the Northern Neck Regional Jail as of Thursday with bond set at $500,000 each.
Criminal history
Haley is listed on the Pennsylvania Megan's Law website as a sex offender. According to the site, he was convicted of rape in November 1987, a crime that was committed and/or charged outside of Pennsylvania. The last address listed for Haley on the website is 739 Ash St., Apt. A, Kulpmont, which he had reported as his home in October.
Also, Haley was listed with an East Chestnut Street address in Shamokin in 2008 when he was charged with simple assault and harassment for assaulting and injuring Donna Haley, identified at the time as his wife. Police said the assault had occurred Dec. 10, 2007, at their residence.
In November, Shamokin police had charged Britton, listed at that time with an address of 838 Cliff St., Apt. A, Coal Township, with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property after she allegedly stole $2,689 while employed at Rob's Six Pack Shack on Market Street.
Britton allegedly removed a large amount of cash from the register and placed it in the front pocket of her hooded sweatshirt at approximately 12:10 a.m. Nov. 6 while closing the business for the evening. She then removed a large amount of money from inside a microwave and placed it in the pocket of her sweatshirt, according to police. Video surveillance obtained by police showed Britton taking the money from the register and microwave.