Christian Musicians Killed Over a Crown Vic

Senseless death — again.

Two men have been charged with capital murder for allegedly gunning down a pair of Christian musicians outside a Texas recording studio and taking off in one of the victim’s cars.

Demarious Dwight Cummings and James Broadnax, both 19, of Texarkana, were arrested late Thursday night about 170 miles from the spot where Matthew Butler, 28, and Steve Swan, 26, were found dead early that morning. Each suspect faces capital murder charges and will be held on $1 million bond.

A third suspect, 18-year-old Lonnie Harris, was also arrested and originally charged in the murders, but was released by police late this afternoon. “We don’t believe that he had anything to do with it,” Lt. Joe Harn, a spokesman for the Garland Police Department, confirmed to ABC News.

Texas authorities allege the motive for the murders was the theft of a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria that belonged to one of the murder victims and ultimately tied the trio to the crime.

Police in Texarkana arrested the three teenagers shortly before 8 p.m. CT after a traffic stop in a rough section of town. A search of the license plates on the tan-colored Crown Victoria had come back as belonging to a Cadillac.

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2008-06-20