US man linked to Qld police shootings offered plea deal

An American antheral accused of links to the household who gunned down 2 Australian constabulary officers has been offered a plea woody by US national prosecutors.

Donald Day Jr, 58, was arrested successful December 2023 by the FBI successful Arizona connected 2 counts of “interstate threats”, 12 months aft the shootings astatine agrarian Wieambilla, westbound of Brisbane.

Donald Day Jr, of Heber successful Arizona, is accused of repeatedly sending messages astir a “Christian end-of-days ideology” to the Wieambilla killers.Credit: YouTube

He was aboriginal charged with illegally possessing firearms – including 3 military-style rifles, handguns, a sawn-off pump-action shotgun, and a ample cache of ammunition – arsenic good arsenic threatening FBI agents during his arrest.

Prosecutor Gary Restaino past week asked for much clip for pretrial motions arsenic they had made an undisclosed connection to Day successful instrumentality for entering a plea, documents filed successful the US District Court of Arizona show.

“A plea connection has been extended and the deadline for acceptance is May 17, 2024,” Restaino said.

The US Department of Justice states connected its website that prosecutors tin prosecute successful plea bargaining with defendants if they are consenting to plead blameworthy successful court.

Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were changeable dormant successful December 2022.

“When the authorities has a beardown case, the authorities whitethorn connection the suspect a plea woody to debar proceedings and possibly trim his vulnerability to a much lengthy sentence,” the section states.

Queensland constabulary successful January 2024 started providing confidential grounds to the FBI concerning the sidesplitting of the 2 officers and a Wieambilla resident.

Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were changeable successful acold humor by Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train aft the officers arrived astatine their property.

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Neighbour Alan Dare was besides changeable dormant earlier the Trains were killed successful a gunfight with specializer constabulary aboriginal that night.

Day, of Heber successful Arizona, is accused of repeatedly sending the Trains messages betwixt May 2021 and December 2022 astir a “Christian end-of-days ideology” known arsenic premillennialism.

Last week successful the US District Court, Judge John Tuchi granted an bid to widen pretrial motions for Day’s trial.

“This tribunal finds that an hold of the pretrial question deadline volition supply clip for plea negotiations and should not interfere with the upcoming proceedings date,” Tuchi stated.

The commencement day for Day’s proceedings was acceptable for June 4, but that docket was antecedently extended.

-AAP

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