A pilot was arrested at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on May 11 and charged in a 2015 triple murder as passengers were waiting to board a flight to Charlotte, according to local reports.
Christian Richard Martin, who is a pilot for the American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines, has been with the company since January 2018.
Martin was charged with the Nov. 18, 2015, murders of Calvin and Pamela Phillips and Edward Dansereau, according to a press release from Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear.
According to the attorney general’s office, Calvin Phillips was found shot to death in his home. The bodies of his wife, Pamela, and their neighbor, Edward Dansereau, were found in a burned car.
Martin was indicted on May 10 — nearly four years after the slayings — on three counts of murder; one count of arson; one count of attempted arson, two counts of burglary in the first degree; and three counts of tampering with physical evidence.
“We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation,” an American Airlines spokesperson told WDRB. He has been placed on administrative suspension, according to the Washington Post.
According to CNN, Martin was dismissed from a 30-year Army career after mishandling classified information and assault on a child under the age of 16. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Calvin Phillips was scheduled to testify in the case before he was killed.
“It’s startling,” passenger Ashley Martin told WDRB. “It’s scary to think this happened so long ago, and they’re just now getting around to catching the guy.”
“It was very tense,” Francis Wise told the station. “I think it was very tense. You could tell the employees knew something was going on.”
“I hope this is a day that brings some justice to these families,” said Beshear. “There are many steps from here, but we hope this is one example of when you never stop seeking justice, when you never give up, that we can truly get important results for these families.”