Two Men Arrested in Killings of Lesbian Couple, 2 Children

Justin C. Mann (pictured, left) and James W. White (right) are facing murder charges after they were arrested for the killings of a female couple and one of the women's two children.

Mann and White, both residents of Schenectady, N.Y., were arraigned on Saturday, charged with the murders of Brandi Mells, 22, her partner, 36-year-old Shanta Myers, and two of Myers's children, Shanise Myers, 5, and Jeremiah Myers, 11. Both men face one count of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder; they could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

The family was killed in their Troy apartment on December 21, but not discovered until five days later, after relatives grew concerned over unreturned phone calls. Police described the crime scene as the most savage they've ever seen.

Myers's oldest child, 15-year-old Isaiah, was away from home at the time of the murders.

No motive has been released for the crime, though the Washington Post reports one of the men was acquainted with one of the victims. It's not yet clear what led police to Mann and White.

The men will next appear in court on Jan. 4.

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