This week on Dead Reckoning, the team examine a double homicide from Charlottesville, Virginia, where a mother and her adoptive daughter were murdered, and their house set ablaze at the end of 2014.
On December 5, 2014, firefighters discovered the bodies of 58-year-old teacher Robin Aldridge and her 17-year-old daughter, Mani, in their home.
Gene Washington had beaten the pair to death before wrapping their remains in blankets and setting fire to the house.
The police were directed towards Washington almost immediately, and he was arrested a mere three days after the murders.
Evidence pointed to Gene Washington as the murderer
Robin’s car was located at Washington’s apartment complex. And when investigators searched a nearby dumpster, they uncovered a slightly bent, blood-stained knife, towels, rubber gloves, and a pair of Washington’s bloody shoes.
DNA was retrieved from the knife, which matched both Washington and Mani.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelWashington is thought to have had a relationship with Mani, but it is not clear how serious their affair had been. The police stated that they had not been in contact for several months before the murder.
Washington continued to profess his innocence until he eventually admitted to murdering the mother and daughter. He still claimed self-defense by arguing that he was embroiled in a love triangle with both Robin and Mani.
He says that Robin attacked him when she discovered him having sex with Mani and claims that in the ensuing chaos, he killed both women.
Prosecutors accused him of lying about his relationship with the two women. They argued that Mani had caught him robbing the house, and he killed her and then waited for Robin to come home before also murdering her.
In June 2017, Washington avoided the possibility of the death penalty when he entered an Alford plea and admitted to killing Robin and Mani. He received a life sentence plus 40 years in prison.
More from Dead Reckoning
Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Dead Reckoning.
Last week on Dead Reckoning, Aaron Toller shot dead his fiancee, Lindsey Wilkins, while their eight-year-old daughter was playing in the adjacent room. He then tried to cover up the crime by claiming she committed suicide, but the cops saw through his lies.
Mary Ann Bragg beat her husband, Tom Bragg, to death with a blunt object and tried to blame the crime on a home invasion. Police became suspicious when she showed more concern for Tom’s life insurance policy than for her husband’s welfare.
Dead Reckoning airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.