BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. — Three suspects have been taken into custody for a double murder over the weekend in Blytheville, Arkansas.
Issac Branch, 25, Chris Clay Jr., 18, and a 16-year-old juvenile were all taken into custody and charged with capital murder and robbery/attempted robbery.
Authorities said the trio first hit the Interstate Shell convenience store late Saturday evening. However, that robbery was thwarted, police said, because the clerk had locked the door.
Thirty minutes later, the suspect opened fire at the Cherrytree Food Mart.
The owner, Bahadur Dhillon, 62, was discovered by authorities behind the counter while his employee, Anthony Tramble, 56, was found at the back of the store. Both had been shot in the head.
Police said several witnesses who had been inside and outside the business at the time of the shooting came forward. They were each shown surveillance video from the Interstate Shell attempted robbery and confirmed the suspects were the same.
Additional video footage showed Branch, Clay and the juvenile exit a vehicle, put on masks and then attempt to rob the first store.
WREG spoke to Dhillon’s nephew, Jay Salim, who told WREG Dhillon had owned the store for about 14 years, after coming from India to make a better life for his family.
This was just one of many times his uncle’s store has been hit — the last time only two weeks ago.
In the latest case, the suspects only got away with $100, police said.
