An American Airlines pilot was arrested and charged with triple homicide Saturday morning at a Kentucky airport while passengers waited to board their flight.
Christian Richard Martin, 51, was indicted for the 2015 murders of Calvin and Pamela Phillips and Edward Dansereau, according to a statement from Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Calvin Phillips was found shot dead in his home in Pembroke, Ky., and the bodies of his wife and neighbour were found a few miles away in a burned car owned by Pamela Phillips.
“Every day, we are haunted by what was done to them and haunted further that someone was still free to do as they wish, beyond the civility of mankind or laws of our nation,” the victims’ family members said in a statement. “We look forward to justice in court and we look forward to a verdict to bring an end to this terror and a fresh start at healing.”
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Martin had moved away from Christian County, Ky., after the deaths and was living in North Carolina at the time of the indictment, according to Beshear.
He has been charged with three counts of murder, one of arson, one of attempted arson, one of burglary in the first degree and three counts of tampering with physical evidence.
“It was like something you would totally see in a movie,” Ashley Martin, a passenger waiting to board the flight when the arrest happened at the Louisville International Airport, told WDRB.
“It was very tense,” Frances Wise, Ashley’s mother, said. “I think it was very tense. You could tell the employees knew something was going on.”
They assumed that the pilot had been intoxicated but learned the reason later.
“It’s startling,” Ashley said. “It’s scary to think this happened so long ago, and they’re just now getting around to catching the guy.”
American Airlines said in a statement that the accused was a pilot for regional subsidiary PSA Airlines and had passed a criminal background check that found “no criminal history that would disqualify him from being a commercial pilot.”
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“All of us at American Airlines and PSA Airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015,” the statement read. “We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation.”
The pilot has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of the investigation, the airline said.