Police Cite Anti-Vaccine Motive in Killing of Pharmacist and 2 Others

A mendacious conspiracy mentation astir Covid-19 vaccines whitethorn person driven a Maryland antheral to termination 3 radical past week, including his brother, a pharmacist, the authorities said.

The constabulary said Jeffrey Burnham, 46, of Cumberland, Md., killed a longtime household friend, stole her car, past drove astir 130 miles to Ellicott City, Md., wherever helium changeable and killed his member and sister-in-law successful their home.

He had go convinced that his brother, Brian Robinette, 58, was moving with the authorities to poison radical with the vaccines, according to a charging papers filed by the constabulary successful Howard County District Court. Rumors and mendacious information astir the Covid-19 vaccines person circulated wide for months, contempt overwhelming technological grounds that they are harmless and effective.

Detectives said that Mr. Burnham’s mother, Evelyn, had called the Cumberland constabulary connected Sept. 29, disquieted astir her son’s intelligence wellness and his fears that the F.B.I. was aft the 2 of them.

Evelyn Burnham, who lived with her son, besides said helium believed that determination was a authorities effort to usage the vaccines to termination people, and that his member was involved, the charging papers said.

“He repeatedly stated ‘Brian knows something,’” according to the statement.

On Sept. 30, the constabulary successful Howard County said they recovered the bodies of Mr. Robinette successful the foyer and his wife, Kelly Sue Robinette, successful an upstairs chamber successful their location successful Ellicott City. Both had been fatally shot.

There were spent .40-caliber ammunition casings passim the house, according to a connection filed by the constabulary successful Howard County Circuit Court. Less than 400 yards from the house, the authorities recovered a car that belonged to Rebecca Reynolds, 83, a Cumberland nonmigratory who had been friends with Evelyn Burnham.

The constabulary said that Mr. Burnham, who lived 8 miles from Ms. Reynolds, killed her sometime connected Sept. 29, stole her 2020 Lincoln Corsair, past drove it eastbound to his brother’s house.

Mr. Burnham has been charged with 3 counts of first-degree execution and was being held without bond. It was unclear from tribunal documents if Mr. Burnham had a lawyer.

The constabulary said that a neighbour of Ms. Reynolds discovered her assemblage astatine astir 7:30 p.m. connected Sept. 29, aft helium went to her location to cheque connected her.

The antheral told investigators that helium and Ms. Reynolds spoke daily, and that helium was disquieted due to the fact that helium had not seen her that day, according to a charging papers that the Cumberland constabulary filed successful Allegany County District Court.

When helium walked into the house, the neighbour recovered Ms. Reynolds connected the couch. Her pharynx had been slit and determination was a pillow implicit her face. A vase and a cane had been knocked over, indicating determination had been a struggle, according to a constabulary report.

The constabulary recovered the Robinettes aft they tracked the Lincoln to their address.

After sidesplitting the couple, the authorities said, Mr. Burnham stole his brother’s reddish Corvette and fled. The killings sparked a hopeless hunt for Mr. Burnham whom the constabulary described arsenic “armed and dangerous.”

The constabulary said a tipster called the Maryland State Police and told them that, astatine 4:45 p.m. connected Sept. 30, Mr. Burnham drove to his location and asked for gas.

The antheral told investigators that Mr. Burnham had said helium “would spot him connected TV,” according to tribunal documents.

“Burnham further stated that his member was ‘killing radical with the Covid shot,’” the constabulary said successful tribunal documents.

At 9 a.m. connected Oct. 1, the constabulary successful West Virginia recovered the Corvette and Mr. Burnham connected the broadside of a roadworthy successful Davis, a tiny upland municipality astir 189 miles westbound of Ellicott City.

The Howard County constabulary said successful a statement that the West Virginia State Police took him into custody without incident.