GUILTY NY - Shanta Myers, 36, Brandi Mells, 22, & 2 kids slain, Troy, 26 Dec 2017 *Arrest*

[thorpedo]

"Brandi Mells was a student at West Genesee High School, according to Superintendent Chris Brown.

Brown said Mells attended 9th, 10th and 11th grade at West Genesee High School. She was part of the class of 2013, but did not return for her senior year, he said."

http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index...omicide_attended_west_genesee_high_schoo.html

My Alma Mater West Genesee High School. Sad. A lovely community.

 

[shana]

Who Killed the Boy With the ‘Biggest Smile’ and His Family in Upstate New York?

This is an outstanding article that offers more 'color' about the victims. A few notations:

Jeremiah Myers was everyone’s kid.

Friends and relatives say the 11-year-old boy—known as “JJ”—dreamed of becoming a firefighter. (Needless to say, this touches me personally at this particular time.)

As the Troy community mourns these tragic deaths, authorities are piecing together a timeline and awaiting the results of autopsies.

Sometime around 2011, Myers moved to the Capital Region from North Carolina, the New York Post reported. The father of her children lives in Charlotte, Facebook posts show.

On Facebook, Brandi Mells listed JJ as her son. (Yes, I had noticed this.)

~jmo~

 

[terpstra1]

Well that's just odd. What is the likelihood that two families of 4 would be viciously murdered within 2 years of each other in close geographic proximity. That's some Criminal Minds stuff.

ETA: Adding to the oddity of this, me and Ibiz made approximately the same post at the same time saying basically the same thing.

FYI:Guilderland and troy are on opposite sides of Albany.

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[Midge Montana]

This is hopeful: Police said they have received many leads and are combing through an "enormous" amount of video collected from cameras on houses and businesses near the crime scene. The state police major crimes and computer units had been called in to assist.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

 

[shana]

The article from The Daily Beast which I linked above also has more info about Brandi Mells, and certainly worth reading.

“She was always smiling. If people were upset, she’d get them laughing,” said Donna, who asked that her last name be withheld for her privacy. “Just an overall wonderful, wonderful kid.”

Donna said many neighborhood teens, including those from broken homes, crashed at her house for a safe space.

“She was like one of my children,” Donna told The Daily Beast. “Just a good kid. She didn’t deserve this.”

Lots of new pix and more in the article.

~jmo~

 

[shana]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

Many thanks to Midge Montana for this article which also offers more local color.

I noticed a few things:

About Shanta:

"She just loved to be included in family events, but over the last year, she kind of isolated herself as she got into a relationship," she added.

Apparently then, the relationship btwn Shanta and Brandi began a year ago or so.

About Brandi:

"She was a little person but her heart was bigger than she was," Hector said of Mells, who had dwarfism.

New to me (the dwarfism), fwiw.

She said the family is rallying around Myers' older son, Isaiah, who has not said much about the tragedy. "He keeps to himself," she said. "He is very strong." DeWolf said the boy's safety is "a concern" but would not comment further.

That's VERY concerning to me!

~jmo~

 

[gregjrichards]

Who Killed the Boy With the ‘Biggest Smile’ and His Family in Upstate New York?

This is an outstanding article that offers more 'color' about the victims. A few notations:

Jeremiah Myers was everyone’s kid.

Friends and relatives say the 11-year-old boy—known as “JJ”—dreamed of becoming a firefighter. (Needless to say, this touches me personally at this particular time.)

As the Troy community mourns these tragic deaths, authorities are piecing together a timeline and awaiting the results of autopsies.

Sometime around 2011, Myers moved to the Capital Region from North Carolina, the New York Post reported. The father of her children lives in Charlotte, Facebook posts show.

On Facebook, Brandi Mells listed JJ as her son. (Yes, I had noticed this.)

~jmo~

The family will be a great loss to the community. It is a horrendous tragedy.

 

[thekarmabus]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

Many thanks to Midge Montana for this article which also offers more local color.

I noticed a few things:

About Shanta:

"She just loved to be included in family events, but over the last year, she kind of isolated herself as she got into a relationship," she added.

Apparently then, the relationship btwn Shanta and Brandi began a year ago or so.

About Brandi:

"She was a little person but her heart was bigger than she was," Hector said of Mells, who had dwarfism.

New to me (the dwarfism), fwiw.

She said the family is rallying around Myers' older son, Isaiah, who has not said much about the tragedy. "He keeps to himself," she said. "He is very strong." DeWolf said the boy's safety is "a concern" but would not comment further.

That's VERY concerning to me!

~jmo~

Safety a concern... big red flag. If that comment is what I am taking it to be then this is bigger than some ex lover gone mad.

Symes expected to hear from JJ on Friday but did not... then a no show on Christmas. Has anyone read the last time this family had been heard from?


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[Beth11311]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

Many thanks to Midge Montana for this article which also offers more local color.

I noticed a few things:

About Shanta:

"She just loved to be included in family events, but over the last year, she kind of isolated herself as she got into a relationship," she added.

Apparently then, the relationship btwn Shanta and Brandi began a year ago or so.

About Brandi:

"She was a little person but her heart was bigger than she was," Hector said of Mells, who had dwarfism.

New to me (the dwarfism), fwiw.

She said the family is rallying around Myers' older son, Isaiah, who has not said much about the tragedy. "He keeps to himself," she said. "He is very strong." DeWolf said the boy's safety is "a concern" but would not comment further.

That's VERY concerning to me!

~jmo~

Hmmmm his safety being a concern may be the biggest clue we have had so far. Thoughts?? This makes it all the more certain it’s quite personal, somehow.


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[2Hope4]

Symes said she expected to hear from Jeremiah on Friday because he usually called her to chat when he didn't have school. But the call never came, and the family never showed up at her house for Christmas, as expected. Then came the terrible news the following day.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

I wonder if her sister is who asked the property manager to do a wellness check? I think most families would be concerned if someone was expected for Christmas, but never showed up.

 

[rascal32]

Just from looking through Brandi’s Facebook I would have to say I’m leaning towards a drug robbery.
That looks like a very large bag of marijuana in a recent post .. correct me if I’m not seeing right though. Plus the fact that they were all tied up.. happens a lot in robbery cases. I think the kids were killed because they would be able to identify the persons responsible. If that is marijuana in that bag.. that’s more than someone would have for personal use in my opinion. So maybe they were being robbed for their drugs??? Just my thoughts. I’m not trying to be negative about the victims. I just watch a lot of “The First 48” and have seen people killed for less.


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[thekarmabus]

Just from looking through Brandi’s Facebook I would have to say I’m leaning towards a drug robbery.
That looks like a very large bag of marijuana in a recent post .. correct me if I’m not seeing right though. Plus the fact that they were all tied up.. happens a lot in robbery cases. I think the kids were killed because they would be able to identify the persons responsible. If that is marijuana in that bag.. that’s more than someone would have for personal use in my opinion. So maybe they were being robbed for their drugs??? Just my thoughts.


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I’m not negating your thoughts. A bag of weed... even a very LARGE bag would not on the streets be worth killing 4 people in that manner. Definitely not killing two small children. Doesn’t add up. Drug bangers use guns... cowardly approaches to what they want. Shoot, kill, take. Tying 4 people and savagely slicing throats not the approach 99% of the time.


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[Wendy101]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-murders-shanta-myers-girlfriend-kids-n833331

Many thanks to Midge Montana for this article which also offers more local color.

I noticed a few things:

About Shanta:

"She just loved to be included in family events, but over the last year, she kind of isolated herself as she got into a relationship," she added.

Apparently then, the relationship btwn Shanta and Brandi began a year ago or so.

About Brandi:

"She was a little person but her heart was bigger than she was," Hector said of Mells, who had dwarfism.

New to me (the dwarfism), fwiw.

She said the family is rallying around Myers' older son, Isaiah, who has not said much about the tragedy. "He keeps to himself," she said. "He is very strong." DeWolf said the boy's safety is "a concern" but would not comment further.

That's VERY concerning to me!

~jmo~

Maybe a "concern" for the boys mental heath rather than "concern" as in he will be harmed physically by someone

 

[always reading]

I’m not negating your thoughts. A bag of weed... even a very LARGE bag would not on the streets be worth killing 4 people in that manner. Definitely not killing two small children. Doesn’t add up. Drug bangers use guns... cowardly approaches to what they want. Shoot, kill, take. Tying 4 people and savagely slicing throats not the approach 99% of the time.


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Maybe someone thought she had money hidden somewhere?

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[Jasper52]

I've got a gut feeling this has to do with drugs/drug money. I hope I'm wrong.

My heart breaks for all affected by this horrific crime but more so for the surviving son. This case is gut-wrenching.

I hope they apprehend those responsible real soon.

 

[thekarmabus]

Maybe someone thought she had money hidden somewhere?

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Perhaps.... or maybe someone owed a lot of money?


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[shana]

My take on this case has shifted.

Was Shanta known to be in lesbian relationships at all before media is so naming her association with Brandi?

To me, Brandi looks more like a child whom Shanta may have taken in...except, apparently Brandi offered a home to Shanta and her children after they were evicted some 2 months ago.

Whatever it was, this horrific crime is feeling more like a case of drug-related murders to me.

I just can't get over the way the young children were killed...who does that? Heartless perps with drugs/money on their minds, imo. Leave no witnesses, and take...whatever it was.

~jmo~

 

[TeaTime]

I do not think this was a burglary. The use of a knife makes me think it is a female. A rage killing. Jealousy. And I think it will be an ex or scorned lover of the younger woman.

JMHO

They will catch her.

 

[Jennifer17]

My take on this case has shifted.

Was Shanta known to be in lesbian relationships at all before media is so naming her association with Brandi?

To me, Brandi looks more like a child whom Shanta may have taken in...except, apparently Brandi offered a home to Shanta and her children after they were evicted some 2 months ago.

Whatever it was, this horrific crime is feeling more like a case of drug-related murders to me.

I just can't get over the way the young children were killed...who does that? Heartless perps with drugs/money on their minds, imo. Leave no witnesses, and take...whatever it was.

~jmo~

BBM. I am pretty sure that Shanti has been out as lesbian for some time. She is very masculine looking. Brandi looks like a child because she has dwarfism. She is not a child, although she is the height of a child. She is a 22 year old woman, able to make her own decisions about her life and her sexuality.

 

[shana]

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