GUILTY MI - Fred Johnson, 53, Scott & Melissa Berels, both 27, die in crime spree, Feb 2006

[MrsMush99]

Can someone please clarify something for me. Did these murderers KNOW the victims??? The article that you posted PrayersforMaura says they sought out the victims. I'm really confused. And what about the man that was found in their car? Where does he fit into all of this. This case is truly disturbing.

 

[luvahgirl]

Well, if you ever get the DP in MI I hope they don't dink around with it like we do here in CA! Buncha freakin sobsisters!

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Can someone please clarify something for me. Did these murderers KNOW the victims??? The article that you posted PrayersforMaura says they sought out the victims. I'm really confused. And what about the man that was found in their car? Where does he fit into all of this. This case is truly disturbing.

From that article, yes they knew the woman they murdered, and her husband they knew through knowing the wife. They befriended her and took advantage of her. Then, they met the guy they murdered in a bar hwile they were on the run and apparently befriended him and he let them sstay with him and then murdered him when he was starting to get suspicious. At least that is how I interpreted it.

Very sad and very sick.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

I truely hate this case. I hate it. It should NOT of happened. That low life trash should of been in prison to begin with. It makes me sooo freakin mad to think of what they did. Sick SOB's.

 

[libraryg]

From that article, yes they knew the woman they murdered, and her husband they knew through knowing the wife. They befriended her and took advantage of her. Then, they met the guy they murdered in a bar hwile they were on the run and apparently befriended him and he let them sstay with him and then murdered him when he was starting to get suspicious. At least that is how I interpreted it.

Very sad and very sick.

This is very frightening.........you never know who you can trust it seems.
Looking at their photos, 2 words come to mind: dead eyes.
Hope they lock 'em up and throw away the key!

 

[SieSie]

I was watching ABC tonight and took some quick notes: Scott Berel was "viciously beaten, strangled and at one point, injected with bleach". Selepak confessed to everything, said he was using cocaine at the time of the murders. Also it was "a bureaucratic error" that Selepak was even released a month ago! :banghead: :behindbar :banghead:

So, I hopped online and gathered the following tidbits for more details.
From The Times Herald

Judge Joseph Cozzolino entered a plea of not guilty for Selepak, who was shackled hand and foot. It was unclear if a plea was entered for Bachynski.

Neither had a lawyer present. Bachynski requested a public defender. Selepak said he had a lawyer.

They also were arraigned on home invasion, felony firearm and auto theft charges. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

“They are serial killers,” said William Cataldo, head of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s homicide unit. “They are not worthy of being of being out in society.”

and from a different Times Herald article:

Dr. Daniel Spitz, Macomb County medical examiner, said an official cause of death for both victims would not be available until he has results of the toxicology reports. Melissa Berels most likely died from strangulation, and Scott Berels suffered multiple injuries, Spitz said.

He was gagged with a rag and duct tape, a belt was strapped around his neck and a plastic bag put over his head, said William Cataldo, chief of the homicide division of the Macomb County prosecutor's office. He also was stabbed and suffered blunt-force trauma to his head.

and regarding the victim they found in the back of the truck when arrested:

Genesee County authorities said Wednesday they believe the suspects shot Johnson at least twice in the back with an assault rifle early Tuesday morning after he became suspicious and tried to escape. His body was left wrapped in the truck's bed overnight. It was frozen when authorities made the arrests, police said.

Pickell said the assault rifle used to kill Johnson is the same gun stolen Feb. 13 from Dunham's Sports in Flint Township. Police believe Johnson was shot as he tried to flee his home. They said there also was evidence he was strangled and suffocated.

He looks like he's coked up in this picture!

 

[michelle]

I wonder if they wrapped them in plastic before they killed them because it would be less "bloody" if they could keep them sort of contained inside the plastic, while they murdered them. It makes me sick to think of it!! These Idiots need to get the DP!!!!!!

 

[Mabel]

Samantha was known to be a "nice girl" by her classmates.

The Times Herald

The pair will be charged for the death of the fetus as well:

Times Herald, again

 

[michelle]

The pair will be charged for the death of the fetus as well:

Times Herald, again

Good!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MrsMush99]

I'm glad they are being charged with the death of the baby. I wish I could figure out what possesses people to be so brutal and evil.

 

[SewingDeb]

From Mabel's second link:
Prosecutors said the pair, who confessed to the Feb. 16 slayings of the Berelses of New Baltimore, took additional steps that confirm their knowledge of the pregnancy.

Smith said Scott Berels was forced, his hands still bound, to write a note saying he'd taken his wife to the hospital and would be gone for a few days. The note was left on the Berels' front door, they said, to delay relatives from finding out the truth. He also changed the outgoing message on his answering machine, saying the same thing. In addition, Selepak called Melissa Berels' parents - saying he was a friend of Scott's - to tell them she was in the hospital, prosecutors said.


That ought to do it. They sure can't claim they didn't know about the pregnancy.

 

[nanandjim]

What was the motive for the murders of the couple? Why on earth would they kill these two innocent people??

 

[Michelle Read]

snip~
A paroled armed robber accused of killing three people during a crime spree apparently knew one of the victims and had included her on a list of six people he wanted to telephone while imprisoned for a parole violation, authorities said.

more at link:

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/ap03-21-092348.asp?t=apnew&vts=32120060939

he was released early from prison in January?!? WTF? :behindbar

 

[aussiegran]

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan prison officials have found 41 recent cases of felons accused of violating their paroles mistakenly being released because they didn't get a hearing within 45 days of their arrest, officials said Tuesday.
One of those released was Patrick Alan Selepak, who is now charged with killing three people after he was wrongly freed.
Corrections Department Director Patricia Caruso told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that systemic and individual errors led to the releases.
"There is no percentage of error that is acceptable," Caruso said.
The department policy is to hold suspected parole violators even if they haven't had a hearing within 45 days, she said. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that prisoners accused of parole violations don't need to be released if the 45 days pass.
http://www.ksat.com/news/8827739/detail.html
..............................
:banghead: :banghead: This just makes me sick.this should have still been in prison.

 

[dark_shadows]

news link
FLINT, Mich. A Michigan man accused of killing three people after he was mistakenly released from prison has been sentenced to life without parole.

 

[Bobbisangel]

news link
FLINT, Mich. A Michigan man accused of killing three people after he was mistakenly released from prison has been sentenced to life without parole.

This happens more often then we will ever know. A number of years ago not to far from here a boyfriend was arrested and put in jail for breaking a protection order. It wasn't the first time he had abused his girlfriend who eventually became an ex. The last time he was arrested there was a mix up and he was released. The gal thought she was safe as he was supposed to be in jail and so she stayed at home. He left jail and went straight to her apt and murdered her. It was just horrible. I'll bet her family sued the heck out of that city....and won.

 

[Pharlap]

news link
FLINT, Mich. A Michigan man accused of killing three people after he was mistakenly released from prison has been sentenced to life without parole.

Well, you'd think they would put a picture up of the guy...NOT:doh:
I sure would like to see him....

It's a small pic I found....Old link, it works..

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=37683

 

[dark_shadows]

Well, you'd think they would put a picture up of the guy...NOT:doh:
I sure would like to see him....

It's a small pic I found....Old link, it works..

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=37683

Hello Pharlap,
I do not know why they did not put a photo with the article.I want to thank-you for taking the time to find the link with the photo.
Respectfully,
dark_shadows

 

[Amraann]

I really think that it should be just a common courtesy to inform th victims family with a phone call.

Mistake or not!

 

[cathieq]

They were ready to start healing Monday.

They were ready to start healing Wednesday.

But instead of watching confessed murderer Patrick Selepak plead guilty in the torture killings of their loved ones -- in a hearing that was postponed from Monday -- the families of Scott and Melissa Berels instead watched a shackled Selepak lurch into a Macomb County courtroom and fire his attorney.
http://tinyurl.com/n6m6g


A woman accused of helping kill a New Baltimore couple will wage a legal battle while her alleged accomplice and fiance is expected to plead guilty to murder.
http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/062706/loc_mtrial001.shtml

Bachynski seemed to be pushing the criminal case to trial at the circuit court as her attorneys argued she was forced to participate in the crime spree and feared for her life while with Selepak.
http://www.voicenews.com/stories/062106/loc_story3001.shtml
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/NEWS04/606290395