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Alyssa Venable (left inset) in a Steuben County Sheriff’s Office (NY) mug shot, (right) the scene where she allegedly crashed her car (New York State Police)
The woman identified as the suspect in the second-degree murders of three roommates found dead Tuesday, slayings that stunned neighbors in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was caught days later in New York after ignoring an attempted traffic stop, driving at 100 mph, and ultimately crashing her car when troopers successfully took out her tires, authorities say.
Alyssa Jane Venable, 23, stands accused of using a gun to commit the murders of 60-year-old Gregory Scott Powell, 65-year-old Carol Anne Reese, and 77-year-old Robert John McGuire for reasons not currently known, though the defendant’s grandmother indicated in a local news interview that she believed her granddaughter could also be a danger to herself and is someone in “desperate need for help.”
The chilling discovery of the three victims “deceased from upper body trauma” took place on Tuesday night after local authorities were called to conduct a welfare check. After that welfare check, investigators said that the evidence pointed to Venable as the one responsible for “this heinous crime.”
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, which earlier said that Venable may have shaved her head in a bid to avoid getting caught, provided an update Thursday, revealing that it was “pleased” about the suspected triple murderer turned fugitive’s arrest.
Crediting both New York troopers and U.S. Marshals, the sheriff’s office alleged that Venable drove her 2009 Honda Civic at speeds up to 100 mph on I-86 in the Empire State once she realized around 5:45 p.m. that the law was fast-approaching and trying to conduct a traffic stop.
New York State troopers likewise said that Venable was finally caught on Thursday evening, but only after a high-speed pursuit.
“The suspect vehicle failed to comply, so pursuit was initiated. The pursuit went into Troop E, where the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office assisted the New York State Police,” troopers said. “A tire deflation device was used, causing the vehicle to crash.”
Steuben County is a couple of hours away from Niagara Falls.
Noting that the defendant was treated at a hospital for “non-life-threatening injuries,” troopers said the next step will be starting the process to extradite Venable to Virginia to face charges.
Steuben County Jail records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Venable was booked after 1 a.m. on Friday. Evidently, her head was not shaved despite the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office’s speculation on that front.
According to Spotsylvania General District Court records, Venable has a lengthy criminal history dating back to March 2019 that started with an alleged shoplifting or price-altering offense. Later that month, the original charge was amended to one count of entering property to cause damage. In December 2021, she was charged with petit larceny. In January of this year, she was charged with reckless driving. On May 17, the defendant was charged with assault and battery.
Gary Boxley, one neighbor, reacted to the news of a triple murder investigation by telling WTVR he was “blown away” by it.
“I was like you’ve got to be kidding me” and “like, ‘Dude what is all this about?”” Boxley added.
Bonnie Ennis, a neighbor just across the street, told WWBT that she was heading out to work around midnight on Tuesday when she saw investigators’ squad cars outside the crime scene with their lights flashing.
“Makes you wonder how somebody could do something like that,” Ennis reportedly said.
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
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