In court, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office was granted a 72-hour delay in filing charges against Michael Bell and Jeremy Priel in connection with the Cumberland double homicide on December 12.
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Michael Bell (left) and Jeremy Priel (right)
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Police said Bell and Priel went to the Crane home on Woodlark Drive to steal a PlayStation 3. Bell told Fox59 in an interview Monday that he waited outside while Priel committed the theft and murders, but Priel told police it was the other way around. However, Priel was allegedly later spotted on surveillance video wiping fingerprints off the murder weapon.
The probable cause affidavit confirmed many of the details first released by Fox59 News Sunday morning, when detectives were arresting the suspects. Witnesses said Bell took the murder weapon from a friend of his aunt the day before the murders and said he intended to rob a pizza delivery driver. However, that weapon was used to fatally shoot Jeremy and Kyleigh Crane.
In an interview with Priel’s finance, the woman told police Bell asked her to throw away a pair of his jeans for him because they were “messed up.” The woman told police she offered to wash the jeans, but Bell insisted they be thrown away. Priel’s finance said Priel later told her he thought the jeans had blood on them.
Several days after the Cumberland murders, police said two men who bought the stolen video game console from Priel spotted blood on the devices and turned him in to police. The men said they gave Priel $40 and an ounce of marijuana for the PlayStation 3 and an Xbox.
Judge Lisa Borges granted the state 72 additional hours to complete its investigation and file formal charges against the pair. Both men will return to court Thursday morning.
