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By Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com
01:52 31 Jan 2015, updated 12:22 31 Jan 2015
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Two people have been charged with murder in the killings of a husband and wife who were shot dead as they answered the door at their South Carolina home in October.
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Malcolm Hartley, 22, and his 18-year-old girlfriend Brianna Johnson, both from North Carolina, were arrested Friday with help from Charlotte, North Carolina, police and the FBI.
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The pair are facing murder charges in connection to the double-homicide of 63-year-old Doug London and his 61-year-old wife, Debbie.
Gunned down: Doug London, 63, and his 61-year-old wife, Debbie, were shot dead as they abswered the door at their home in Lake Wylie, South Carolina
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On Friday, police acknowledged for the first time a connection between the deaths and an armed robbery five months earlier at the Londons' Charlotte mattress store where one of the suspects was shot in the stomach.
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However, they would not say if the trio of robbers in the May break-in were in any way linked to Hartley and Johnson.
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The suspects are being held without bail. Under South Carolina law, the two could face the death penalty if convicted of the murders, reported Herald Online.
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According to reports, Doug and Debbie London were shot dead at around 8.30pm on October 23 inside their home in the 5000 block of Tioga Road in Lake Wylie.
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The couple’s grown son, Daniel, was home at the time of his parents' murders. He was not hurt in the shooting and was the one who called 911 after being awakened by gunfire sounds.
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On Friday, Daniel London released a statement on his Facebook page thanking law enforcement for the arrests.
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Earlier attack: In May, three armed suspects broke into the Londons' Wholesale Mattress Warehouse on South Boulevard
Blood feud: Doug London, pictured with his wife of nearly 30 years, shot Jamell Cureton in the stomach after the 22-year-old fired on him but missed
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'It is with great relief that I announce that the people that murdered my parents have been arrested,' Daniel London wrote. 'I would like to thank law enforcement for all of their hard work and dedication.
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'Thank you for being the heroes that protect our communities. To all my family and friends, enjoy this day.
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'To the media, thank you for your coverage of what happened to my parents. Please continue your efforts until these evil people are sentenced to justice.'
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Five months before the slayings, on May 24, three armed men broke into the Londons' Wholesale Mattress Warehouse on South Boulevard, but the robbery was thwarted by Doug London and the perpetrators landed in jail.
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Just days after the killings in October, brothers Jamell Cureton, 22, and 19-year-old Nana Adoma, were indicted in connection to the armed robbery, along with their alleged getaway driver, 21-year-old David Lee Fudge.
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In the course of the robbery, Doug London shot Cureton in the stomach after the 22-year-old fired on him but missed. Cureton was in jail at the time of the October slayings.
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Court documents indicate that the siblings' alleged accomplice, David Fudge, has admitted to being a high-ranking member of the Bloods street gang, but investigators would not say if the Londons’ murders were gang-related.
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Malcolm Hartley’s criminal history includes a conviction for conspiracy to commit armed robbery in 2013. He was arrested again last November on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. His 18-year-old girlfriend does not have a criminal record.
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‘It was not a random act of violence…it was connected to another crime,’ 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said.
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Married for nearly three decades, Doug and Debbie were remembered by their relatives and friends as a loving couple who were active in their community.
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Doug London was an avid golfer and a one-time member of the PGA. Debbie was known for her work in a local women’s shelter. They are survived by their son and multiple siblings.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... omach.html
