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Man Charged In Family Dollar Double Murder

DEARBORN (WWJ) - A 34-year-old man has been arrested and charged in last week's double murder at a Dearborn dollar store.

Lavere Bryant was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on murder, armed robbery, and unlawful imprisonment charges.

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Joseph Orlando, left; Brenna Machus, right

Joseph Orlando, 22, was found shot to death in the Family Dollar store on Michigan Avenue last Tuesday.

Following a two-day search, the body of his co-worker, 20-year-old Brenna Machus, was found in a wooded area just a few miles away.

"The members of this department worked tirelessly and around the clock in an exemplary fashion to bring closure to this case in the finest tradition of delivering superior public service and earning the public's trust every day in everything we do," said Dearborn Chief of Police Ronald Haddad in a media release announcing the arrest.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said: "Everything about this case is extremely upsetting. This was not an easy case to put together. I commend all of the tenacity of the Dearborn Police Department and am grateful for the help from the public and media."

Just what exactly led to the killings remains unclear. Police aren't commenting on a motive, and Haddad said, "The facts of the case will come out at the preliminary examination. "

Dearborn police continue to ask that anyone with information they believe may be relevant to this case contact the department at 313-943-2235.

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