John Jefferson
Background: News footage of the New Britain, Conn. home of Bryana Raye (WVIT). Inset: Christopher Raye (New Britain Police Department).
A Connecticut man was found walking down a road a day after he allegedly stabbed his wife and shot his mother-in-law in front of the couple’s two children.
Christopher Raye, 45, was charged with murder after the Jan. 27 stabbing death of his wife, Bryana Raye, 30, and her mother, whose identity was confirmed by friends to WVIT, an NBC affiliate, but whose name was not provided. According to the arrest affidavit obtained by The Hartford Courant, a woman from Pennsylvania alerted authorities after a phone call with Bryana Raye’s mother, reportedly telling them that she heard what she believed were gunshots and a disturbance in the background.
When police arrived at the New Britain, Connecticut home, the older woman was found in the living room with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Bryana Raye was found in the bedroom with multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The affidavit stated that the Pennsylvania woman was called by Bryana’s mother while the couple were out of the house with the two young children. While on the phone, the family returned, and the Pennsylvania woman reportedly heard something going on. Bryana’s mother reportedly told the woman, “He beat her, call 911.” The woman then heard “what sounded like a scuffle and then punching and screaming.” After that, the woman said she heard Bryana scream, “No, Chris, don’t!” followed by four to six “loud bangs.”
Another man who was in the house at the time, identified by WVIT as a family member, was in another room playing video games when her heard a single gunshot. The affidavit stated that he witnessed Raye allegedly “stabbing [Bryana] while on top of her with a bloody knife.” He also told police that the couple’s two young children “were watching this happen,” so he brought them into another room. The relative then yelled at Raye to get out of the house, which he did.
According to the affidavit, Raye fled the scene in his truck and shut off his cellphones. A man who was in a truck owned by Raye that he used for his landscaping business told police that Raye called him at around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m., hours after the alleged incident, saying that he did something “very un-normal” and that “something crazy happened.”
Raye was eventually found the day after the alleged incident walking along a road. He was arrested by New Britain police and held on $1 million bond. Raye was charged with murder, first-degree assault with a firearm, two counts of risk of injury to a child, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal use of a weapon. He was also charged with misdemeanor illegal discharge of a firearm.
He is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on Feb 20.
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