Inset: Charles “Chuck” Readey (New Hampshire Attorney General”s Office). Background: A covered bridge in the small town of Bath, N.H. (Town of Bath).
A New Hampshire man is behind bars for killing his sister-in-law and niece, according to authorities in the Granite State.
Charles “Chuck” Readey, aged 73, is facing charges of two counts of second-degree murder, as reported by the New Hampshire Department of Justice in a press statement released on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at a residence on Tyler Way in Bath, a small town located along the western border with Vermont.
Earlier that day, in an initial announcement, the Attorney General of New Hampshire, along with the State Police, reported the “suspicious deaths of two females” at the location of the incident.
Around 1:15 p.m., the Bath Police Department received a 911 call reporting gunshots at a specific address, officials mentioned. When officers arrived, they found Cindy Moody, 67, and her daughter Kristal Moody, 39, who appeared to have suffered gunshot injuries.
Also at the residence, investigators soon discovered Readey, the elder woman’s brother-in-law, with a firearm, according to law enforcement.
“After a short period of time, Mr. Readey was safely detained,” the attorney general’s office said in the press release.
That short time, however, was not uneventful.
While conducting a search, Bath Police Chief Todd Eck reportedly called out Readey’s name, to which the suspect replied, “I’m over here,” as described in court files acquired by Manchester’s ABC affiliate WMUR.
Upon making contact with the alleged killer, the police chief repeatedly told him to put the gun down, authorities allege.
At first, however, Readey would not budge, so Eck said he could not help the victims until the alleged killer put the gun down, police say.
That entreaty is said to have resulted in morbid commentary.
Readey allegedly replied to Eck’s concerns with words along the lines of: “You can’t help them now,” according to court documents.
Eventually, and with the intervention of his wife, the defendant did lower his weapon and was taken into custody without incident, police say.
Additional details about the crime were relayed in court documents obtained by Burlington, Vermont-based CBS affiliate WCAX.
Investigators allege Readey grew frustrated with Cindy Moody after she had been living in the basement for roughly three years.
Investigators claim that Readey later confessed to the murders, allegedly stating he shot Kristal Moody through a door before turning his weapon on her mother.
On Wednesday, the suspect participated in a court hearing conducted remotely. He is currently held without the possibility of bail until a probable cause hearing scheduled for October 22.
Also on Wednesday, autopsies are scheduled for both mother and daughter by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Law&Crime reached out to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office for additional details on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
