BETHALTO, Ill. — The two people accused of a multi-state crime spree that culminated in a triple homicide in Bethalto late last year killed the three victims in Bethalto because the victims refused to trade a car for drugs and cash, a search warrant in the case said.
Brady Witcher, 41, and Brittany McMillan, 28, were each charged with multiple counts of murder and other charges in connection with the Dec. 19 killings of 59-year-old Shari Yates, her 30-year-old son, Andrew “AJ” Brooks, and 32-year-old John McMillian. They are both facing charges from multiple other states in connection with their alleged crime spree.
In a search warrant application obtained by 5 On Your Side, Bethalto police revealed more information about the crime, including the motive behind the Bethalto killings.
According to the search warrant, officers caught Witcher on Dec. 19 after spotting a stolen Ford Focus involved in their crime spree.
Witcher and Brittany McMillan were wanted in Clarksville, Tennessee, for shoplifting, aggravated kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle. They also were wanted out of Jefferson County, Alabama, for capital murder and kidnapping.
After taking Witcher into custody, he admitted to using a stolen truck in their alleged crimes in Tennessee. He said they evaded police and drove that truck to Illinois so they could get a new car.
He then said they met with AJ Brooks on Dec. 19. Witcher offered Brooks "dope and cash" in exchange for his pick-up truck, but Brooks refused. Witcher said he then shot John McMillian, who was sitting nearby.
Witcher told police that Brooks and Yates ran for the back of the house, but he shot them both in the back.
He and Brittany McMillan left the three victims for dead and drove off with Brittany McMillan behind the wheel of Yates' 2011 Ford Focus and Witcher in the truck in which they arrived, the search warrant said.
They parked the truck in a parking garage in St. Louis and both rode in Yates' stolen Ford Focus to a Hazelwood motel. Police said the parking garage receipt was in Witcher's wallet when they arrested him.
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Security video from a neighbor connected the two vehicles to the crime, and police were able to track them down in less than a day.
Witcher was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder and single counts of armed robbery aggravated vehicular hijacking and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Brittany McMillan was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder and single counts of armed robbery and aggravated vehicular hijacking. The nine murder counts will be combined down to three counts for each as the investigation progresses.
Last month, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said this was one of three cases where he wants to see if the federal death penalty could be imposed.