Murrieta welfare check leads to double murder investigation – Man arrested

August 4, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

MURRIETA — Two people were found deceased and a man reported to be their son was arrested for double homicide after a welfare check called in by a family member Friday evening, Aug. 2, led officers in Murrieta to the gruesome discovery. Officials have not yet confirmed how the man arrested and the two victims were related.

Authorities have since said the two murders stemmed from a “domestic related” incident “and contained to the residence,” which is located on the 2400 block of Jonquil Circle; a small residential cul-de-sac southeast of Jefferson Ave. and Magnolia St.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Motorcyclist killed in fiery Jurupa Valley wreck
Two families barely escape Valle Vista home blaze
Motorcyclist hospitalized after two-vehicle Elsinore crash

Murrieta Police Dispatch received a phone call from a concerned family member around 9:41 p.m., Murrieta PD officials explained in a social media release. The 911 caller told dispatchers they were out of town and had been unable to get in touch with their family members at the residence.

After responding to the home to check on the welfare of the home’s occupants, officers initially received no response at the front door. Earlier reports indicate a man was possibly barricaded inside the home and refusing to exit the residence or cooperate with officers.

Murrieta PD officials say Andrew Burke, 25, murdered two people inside a Murrieta residence. Family members of the victims and suspect say Burke is schizophrenic and that the victims he allegedly killed were his parents, but Murrieta PD has not confirmed the relationship between the three individuals. Murrieta PD photo

At some point during the incident officers were able to make entry into the home, but officials did not provide further details about how they gained entry.

“Further investigation revealed the discovery of two persons deceased inside of the residence and officers made contact with 25-year-old, Andrew Joseph Burke,” officials explained.

A family member has since reported Burke is schizophrenic and that police have been called to the family’s home on numerous previous occasions.

As their investigation continued Murrieta PD officials ultimately arrested Burke and he was later booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of two counts of second-degree murder and resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Jail records indicate Burke remains in custody, held on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta Southwest Justice Center, Aug. 7.

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:
Two injured, one airlifted, after fiery Burney crash
Girl, 9, dead, mother paralyzed, 2 others injured after Millville rollover
Redding man ID’d after found deceased – Murder investigation ongoing

“The investigation is ongoing but appears to be domestic related and contained to the residence,” said officials.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Murrieta Police Detective Sergeant Brendan Carney at (951) 461-6358. Callers can refer to incident file number MR19-4029 and can remain anonymous.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

RVC News photos

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he currently writes for or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, the (now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.