Woman wanted in triple killing investigation in Virginia taken into custody in upstate New York

AVOCA, N.Y. (AP) — A 23-year-old woman wanted in the deaths of her three roommates in Virginia was taken into custody after a chase on an upstate New York highway, police said Friday.

Police began searching for Alyssa Jane Venable after the bodies of her roommates, all in their 60s or 70s, were discovered Tuesday during a welfare check in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Police said she was wanted on three counts of second-degree murder and a firearms charge.

Venable was taken into custody by New York State Police troopers Thursday evening, more than 260 miles (418 kilometers) north of Fredericksburg. She was driving a sedan on Interstate 86 when troopers tried to pull her over, but she refused. The car crashed after running over a tire deflation device, according to state police.

Venable was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening and was being held in the Steuben County jail on Friday. Troopers said they will proceed with extradition arrangements.

A phone message was left Friday at the Steuben County Public Defender’s office in New York.

It was not immediately clear why Venable was in New York. Troopers were trying to piece together a timeline of the last several days and were seeking information from the public.

The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office in Virginia identified the victims as Robert John McGuire, 77; Gregory Scott Powell, 60; and Carol Anne Reese, 65. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office did not respond to two phone messages seeking more information on Venable. Venable’s grandmother, Jane Venable, declined to comment Friday.