Neighbor, other man charged in slaying of Jersey City family

PhillyBurbs ^

[Selkie]

By WAYNE PARRY The Associated Press

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The upstairs neighbor of an Egyptian Christian family found slain in their home in January was charged Friday, along with another man, in the murders.

Edward McDonald, 25, who rented a second-floor apartment above Hossam Armanious and his family, pleaded not guilty to four counts of felony murder. Hamilton Sanchez, 30, faces the same charges and also pleaded not guilty.

Sanchez during a court hearing began crying as he stood before a judge, his hands cuffed behind his back.

"I didn't kill nobody. I didn't kill nobody, man. I didn't kill nobody, people," Sanchez said, as he was led from the courtroom. McDonald stared at the floor during the hearing.

Both men, who were on parole for different drug offenses, were ordered held on $10 million cash bail.

Authorities said Armanious, 47; his wife, Amal Garas, 37, and their children - Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8 - were slain three days before their bodies were found Jan. 14.

[Dark Skies]

"I'd like to make one thing perfectly clear: The motive for these murders was robbery. This was a crime based on greed, the desperate need of money," DeFazio said.

Freddie and Jan, I am only an amateur detective. But why would a robber inflict such violence on all members of the family. Aren't robbers more like businessmen in regression (i.e. the goal is the money...let's get in, get the money, and get out quickly).

Beating the whole family so that they are unrecognizable...isn't that a special artform. That must take at least an hour extra.

Please, tell me where I am wrong!

[appalachian_dweller]

DS,

You are NOT wrong. This was no robbery. The sheer violence of the murders indicates extreme hatred. Simple robbers would not have taken the time to torture and kill the entire family.

This was the work of muslims who were mad because this family was converting muslims to Christianity. I don't care what anyone says. The facts in this case speak volumes.

Anyone who denies this is nothing but a liar or a muzzie apologist/enabler.

[RS]

"Anyone who denies this is nothing but a liar or a muzzie apologist/enabler."

... and anyone who thinks that they KNOW this based on the unsuported and conflicting statements of relatives of the victims is playing the fool.

The ONLY evidence that we know of from official sources is the video tapes of the perps using the stolen ATM card.

[Dark Skies]

This was the work of muslims who were mad because this family was converting muslims to Christianity.

I think the history books will read, "It was in the 21st century that amateur detectives (some with solid police credentials), like the bloggers before them, started correcting and, indeed, directing the course of criminal investigations."

[appalachian_dweller]

RS, you are an apologist and an enabler.

Many of the facts of this horrendous act are published and well known. Correlate this with what is being taught in the mosques in this country and things become clear.

The sleeping sheeple may buy your apologist excuses, but those of us who are watching the muslims know what's really going on.

Go peddle your apologist/enabler tripe elsewhere. We're not buying that trash here.

[Fred Nerks]

We can't tell you nuthink! We are just little old ladies and bloggers with bad teeth, some of us are bald, we sit here all day in our jammies, drinking coffee, making bigoted statements because we are illiterate, xenophobic bigots who get their information from rednecks, from conspiracy theories, everything we think and write is based upon our unreasonable hatred of the poor immigrant refugees because they are different, they eat different food and dress funny. We wanna country that don't let no steenkin immigrants in here. Why would you ask us if we think you might be wrong?
Do I have to put sarc. after this, or not?

[Selkie]

Here is the latest news. McDonald has rolled over on Sanchez in order to obtain lesser charges...........

JERSEY CITY - Records of a telephone call between the two men charged in the slaying of an Egyptian family corroborate a detailed admission by one of them, authorities said Monday.

The confession by Edward McDonald and records of his phone call to former prison buddy Hamilton Sanchez in the hours before the killings were enough for prosecutors to charge Sanchez in the Jan. 11 massacre, authorities said.

Prosecutors are still counting on evidence being processed at the FBI forensics lab in Washington to cement their case.

Hair and fiber samples taken from inside the home Hossam Armanious shared with his wife and two daughters should place the two alleged killers there, said John Conway, an FBI spokesman.

Authorities recovered a gun, which they believe was used to subdue the family, hidden in McDonald's apartment during a raid Thursday morning, DeFazio said. They also found distribution quantities of high-grade "hydro" marijuana, he said

One thing that authorities have figured out is that McDonald seriously miscalculated the bounty that awaited him inside the Armanious residence, DeFazio said.

"They thought that they were going to hit the jackpot," DeFazio said. "These guys, they had it in their head that there was going to be more cash there."

At one point, the pair piled up all the jewelry they found inside the home but decided against taking it, the prosecutor said.

McDonald told investigators that he and Sanchez stabbed the family to death during a push-in robbery after the youngest daughter recognized McDonald as her upstairs neighbor, according to authorities.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2NjMxMzcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz


It appears that this may turn out to be a case of In flagrante delicto afterall.
Im reminded why I'm for the Death Penalty.
I just think they should bring back drawing and quartering murderers like this.

[appalachian_dweller]

Fred, thanks for putting up that link on your homepage. I'll be doing some reading later.

[Fred Nerks]

Hey, I'm pleased you found the link and decided to read the book. It's not only profoundly well researched but it's told in a simple honest way without any sensationalism.

[RS]

"RS, you are an apologist and an enabler."

You are a liar - I am aplogizing for noone and enabling nothing.

"Many of the facts of this horrendous act are published and well known."

I noticed that you have not chalanged the FACT that many of the well known and published "facts" conflict with each other and come from relatives of the victims.

Did you know that the police have reported that the knives used were the victims own ? How does that fit with a ritualized premeditated slaughter by "muzzies" ?

http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/021705/njajc.html

"Jersey City resident Hossam Armanious, his wife Amal Garas, and their two young daughters, 15-year-old Sylvia and eight-year-old Monica, were found stabbed to death with knives from their own home — leading police to doubt that their murders were premeditated."

[Selkie]

KIN MARVEL AT CALM N.J. SLAY SUSPECT

By DOUGLAS MONTERO and CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

March 7, 2005 -- Upstairs neighbor and murder suspect Edward McDonald kept his cool whenever relatives talked about the vicious unsolved slayings of four members of an Egyptian family in their New Jersey home, a relative said yesterday.
"We'd hang out together after the fact, and he never acted like anything had happened," said the 65-year-old granddad of McDonald's wife, Stephanie Torres.

Torres would often discuss the highly publicized cold-blooded murders with McDonald during family get-togethers.

I'd say, I hope they catch the people who did this — but I never imagined it would be him.

"Whatever he did, he did, and he has to deal with it. I am just shocked and hurt," he said, asking that his first name not be used.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/40828.htm

[appalachian_dweller]

Thanks for the info Selkie. I'm still not convinced that these drug users did this.

I can't dismiss the threat from the PalTalk website. The MO fits with muslim hate, not drug user greed. Most drug users (I used to be one so I know first hand) would rather rob an empty house.

Something still doesn't fit. I think it's a cover up. If I'm to believe that these two idiots did this, I'll also have to believe that Vince Foster really did kill himself.

[Dark Skies]

You're crazy...I never said I don't like muslim women...I think they are cute, particularly when they wear thongs under those burkas.

I can't help it that Allah is an angry goddess who hates human women. Just for the record...I don't like Allah and I do like cute Islamic women. And I treat them better than Allah and Moe...so there!

Here is my new girlfriend. And she says duckhead to Moe and Allah and Howlin...and she says..."dang, my thong is soooo tight."

[RS]

"Im reminded why I'm for the Death Penalty.
I just think they should bring back drawing and quartering murderers like this. "

EXACTLY !

The law forbids "cruel AND unusual punishment"

... that says to me that we can make it cruel as long as we use it all the time !

Thanks for the post Selkie...

[ApesForEvolution]

Vince Foster didn't kill himself? Next, you're going to tell me Commerce Secretary Brown's death was an aviation accident...and he just happened to have a .45 caliber wound in his skull.

[Fred Nerks]

Hair and fibre samples. Fine. Forensic evidence is what I wanted to hear. Now comes the question, why did it take so long? The neighbour was questioned when the bodies were found. How long does it take to find and analyse hair and fibre samples?
Notice, the statement includes the qualification "should place the two alleged killers there."
Should?
Truly, the ways of criminal investigations remain a complete mystery to me.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> knives from their own home <<

I don't care where the knives came from. This was the work of muslims.

[Selkie]

Truly, the ways of criminal investigations remain a complete mystery to me.>>>

In New Jersey at least.
Things here don't always follow logical progressions.
LOL.

[Dark Skies]

Hair and fibre samples.

Well, that let's me off the hook...I ain't a Brit or an Ozzie (we call it fiber here in the Sud)...and well, hair...hehehe...it ain't mine. Let me check the cat.

[Fred Nerks]

I was sorta hoping for DNA samples from under the victims fingernails, but you can't have everything, I guess...