| For Immediate Release Case # 07NF2970 Case # 07NF2178
|
Contact: Farrah Emami
|
THIRD DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH
BODY DUMP MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
OF ANAHEIM HILLS FAMILY
FULLERTON – A third defendant has been arrested and charged with the special circumstances murder of an Anaheim Hills father and sister and the attempted murder of the mother of a University of California, Irvine student. Charles Anthony Murphy, 22, Mission Hills, was charged today with two felony counts of murder for Karishma Dhanak and Jayprakash Dhanak and one count of felony attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation for Leela Jayprakash Dhanak. Murphy also faces sentencing enhancements for committing multiple murders, murder during the commission of kidnapping Karishma Dhanak, and murder during the commission of kidnapping Jayprakash Dhanak.
Murphy is being held on no bail and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon, Friday, August 17, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton.
Murphy was arrested Wednesday, August 15, 2007 by the Anaheim Police Department while working at the Adidas store at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine.
Co-defendants Iftekhar Murtaza, 22, Van Nuys, and Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 21, West Hollywood, face the same charges as Murphy. Murtaza and Krasnoperov are being held on no bail and have a pre-trial scheduled for January 16, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will not be releasing any additional information at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Gundy of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
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