Murder Charges Reinstated For 2 Accused In Death Of Detroit Firefighter

DETROIT (WWJ) - Murder charges have been reinstated for two defendants who authorities claim were involved in the death of a Detroit firefighter in his home.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's office, Judge Michael Callahan granted a motion by prosecutors to reinstated the charges.

Christian Rasnick, 19, and Nichole O'Neill, 33, were allegedly were part of a trio that beat 59-year-old firefighter David Madrigal to death with a gym weight plate last December. They're also charged with arson and armed robbery.

During earlier court proceedings, Detroit police Sgt. Lance Sullivan read from a transcript of an interrogation of a third suspect, 32-year-old Timmy Soto, in which Soto says he killed David Madrigal with the plate and then stole Madrigal's safe, guns and SUV, Mlive.com reported.

Soto allegedly told police that the four had been hanging out drinking that night and he "snapped" after seeing Madrigal hit on O'Neill; who, along with Rasnick, is accused of helping Soto ransack the house. According to testimony, the trio split $1,500 from the safe before dumping Madrigal's Ford Explorer in southwest Detroit and setting it on fire.

A Detroit judge had dismissed the murder charges against Rasnick and O'Neill in May saying there was no evidence that they had anything to do with the killing itself.

Soto, meantime, remains charged with murder, armed robbery, arson, larceny and other charges. He's awaiting a competency hearing scheduled for Sept. 12.

Rasnick and O'Neill will be back in court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 6. Their trial is set to begin Oct. 17.