More arrests made in connection with brutal Middletown murder

Police have arrested two more people in connection with an Orange County murder case that dates back to September 2006. Gerald Shears, 29, and Erica Morales, 24, were arrested over the weekend in Middletown

News 12 Staff

May 28, 2014, 9:00 PM

Updated 3,619 days ago

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More arrests made in connection with brutal Middletown murder
Police have arrested two more people in connection with an Orange County murder case that dates back to September 2006.
Gerald Shears, 29, and Erica Morales, 24, were arrested over the weekend in Middletown for their alleged involvement in the murder of Yonkers resident Franklin Fitts. The 46-year-old, who was killed in Middletown, was found dead last September in Newburgh in the trunk of his own car. Police say Shears and Morales tried to destroy and hide important evidence, some of which has been recovered. They also say the two are friends with James Blagmon, 29, and James Harris, 28, who are charged with kidnapping and murder in the case.
Police are being tight-lipped about what evidence they have found. However, they do say it's evidence that directly links the defendants who have been charged with murder to the crime.


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