The twin brothers taken into custody after investigators found a body encased in concrete behind their home were each charged with murder and concealing a death Wednesday afternoon, police said.
As of late Wednesday, there was no definite answer on who Christopher and William Cormier allegedly killed or where it happened. But investigators in two states believe the homicide victim is a 30-year-old man from Pensacola, Fla., last seen Aug. 27.
The Cormiers, 31, were taken into custody Monday afternoon after the gruesome discovery behind the Barrow County home where they have lived with their father for about three weeks, according to police. On Tuesday, investigators at the GBI Crime Lab used a sledgehammer to chisel through concrete to reach the remains, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.
An autopsy determined the man was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. But fingerprints couldn’t be obtained from the body to confirm if the man is Sean Dugas, a former reporter for the Pensacola News Journal.
“The body is in such a state that fingerprints could not be obtained,” Bankhead told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution late Wednesday. “We have asked Pensacola police to locate his medical and dental records and forward to our medical examiners so a scientific identity can be made.”
Since the large slab of concrete was unearthed Monday night, details from investigators have created a bizarre story with many unanswered questions.
The twins told their father they had buried a dog in the back yard, police have said. But a missing persons case that began a month ago in Pensacola led investigators to the family’s home in Winder on Monday.
Under Georgia law, suspects can be held for 48 hours before being formally charged. Since the Cormiers were taken into custody Monday, charges had to be filed against them Wednesday or they would be eligible for release, Officer Chris Cooper with Winder police said.
Also, just because the homicide victim was found in Winder does not necessarily mean that’s where the death occurred, according to police.
“Unless there is clear evidence that establishes the location of where a victim was murdered, venue is where the body is found,” Bankhead said.
In addition to the felony charges in Georgia, the Cormiers could face additional charges in Georgia and Florida, according to police.
The Cormier brothers are believed to be the last people to have seen 30-year-old Dugas alive. The man was reported missing by friends on Sept. 13. Investigators have determined that Dugas knew the Cormiers, likely through a comic book shop in Florida because they were all involved in a trading card game. But police haven’t determined the extent of that friendship or how long it had been going on, Cooper said.
On Sept. 3, two men were seen by neighbors loading items from Dugas’ home into a U-Haul truck, according to Pensacola police.
“We know the Cormier brothers rented a U-Haul truck,” Cooper said. “They arrived at their father’s home with the U-Haul.”
That U-Haul truck is currently in Texas and has not yet been searched, Cooper said.
Both William and Christopher Cormier have criminal records that included various drug charges, but none have been as serious as the latest charges.
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