Police say a business associate of a Westmoreland County man was involved in his disappearance and death.
On Saturday, the Allegheny County Police Department announced charges for William Fortuna, 58, of Conway, Braden Elliott, 20, of Chicora, and Jeremy Fisher, 41, of Coraopolis, in the murder of George Dayieb, 57, of Murrysville. Fortuna and Elliot were arrested Saturday and Fisher was taken into custody Sunday morning. They are all facing multiple charges including criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy and abuse of a corpse.
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In a press conference Sunday, police clarified that Fisher and Dayieb are “business associates.” They also said Fortuna is an employee of Fisher and Elliott is Fisher’s nephew as well as an employee of his.
A criminal complaint says Fisher and Dayieb are partners in an excavation company.
The search for Dayieb began Dec. 27 after he was reported missing and endangered to Murrysville police by his significant other and his truck was found abandoned later the same day.
The complaint alleges on that day, Dayieb was meeting Fisher to collect a $439,432 debt for the purchase of equipment that was supposed to be wired from Fisher’s family member on Dec. 22., but never was. Police say Fisher conspired with Elliott and Fortuna to kill Dayieb. In the complaint, Elliot allegedly told police Fisher offered to buy him a diesel truck if he helped in the murder.
Police previously said Dayieb got into Fisher’s vehicle at a gas station on Broadhead Road in Coraopolis. According to the complaint, Elliott was also in the vehicle and Fortuna was following them in his vehicle without Dayieb’s knowledge.
Police say ahead of everyone getting in the car, Fisher got a revolver from Fortuna and gave it to Elliot to kill Dayieb with. The complaint says the gun didn’t fire the first time Elliot tried to shoot it while they were driving on I-376. But, after they pulled over on Glenwood Way in Butler County to fix the weapon, it did fire when he tried again while they were driving under the Mercer Bridge.
At this point, the complaint states Fortuna and Fisher get in Fortuna’s car, while Elliot transports Dayieb’s body to a “camp” in Licking Township, Clarion County, eventually hiding it in a trailer and covering it with “cushions and pillows.” Police found Dayieb’s body with a gunshot wound to the head in the trailer Friday after they executed a search warrant on the property.
Police say they were able to use texts, cell phone data, license plate readers and surveillance video to create a timeline of events.
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