Police charge a woman, a 13-year-old girl and her 18-year-old boyfriend with murder in the slayings of two people earlier this month in Lothian. Anne Arundel County police said Ann Marie Anastasi was charged with first- and second-degree murder, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the deaths of her husband, Anthony Anastasi Jr., 40, and Jacqueline Riggs, 25. Her 13-year-old daughter is charged as a juvenile, and the teenager's 18-year-old boyfriend is also charged with murder.

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Police have charged a woman, a 13-year-old girl and her 18-year-old boyfriend with murder in the slayings of two people earlier this month in Lothian.Anne Arundel County police said Ann Marie Anastasi was charged with first- and second-degree murder, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the deaths of her husband, Anthony Anastasi Jr., 40, and Jacqueline Riggs, 25. Bail was denied at a hearing Friday. The judge cited fears that she is a danger to her children.Police said the victims were discovered Oct. 5 in a home in the 600 block of West Bay Front Road.According to court documents, Ann Anastasi took four of her five children to school on Oct. 5, but her 13-year-old daughter stayed behind because she was sick.Ann Anastasi said she returned home from the store, went to check on her husband and found him unresponsive and called police. When officers arrived, they found Anthony Anastasi Jr. dead with a gunshot to the head, a .45-caliber handgun nearby and Riggs stabbed to death in the basement.Investigators said Ann and Anthony Anastasi, who had been married for 18 years, had been romantically involved with Riggs, who moved into the basement of the couple's home over the summer. This caused tension within the residence, police said.According to charging documents, Anthony Anastasi and Riggs were still romantically involved, while Ann Anastasi was not."We were told that they were all involved romantically in a relationship, and during the past couple of weeks, that relationship was starting to get strained," Anne Arundel County police Lt. Ryan Frashure said.Investigators said the crime was staged as a murder-suicide, but detectives discovered several pieces of evidence that led them to believe he was slain."Ballistic evidence, forensic evidence, some inconsistencies in witness statements, they were able to piece together that this wasn't what it originally appeared to be, a murder-suicide," Frashure said.According to charging documents, a .45-caliber Sig Sauer handgun was found next to Anthony Anastasi's body, and a .380 shell casing was found at the scene."We know Mr. Anastasi was killed with a .380-caliber handgun. There was a .380 spent casing at the scene. What was next to his head was a .45-caliber handgun," Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Wes Adams.During interviews with police, statements made by Ann Anastasi and the girl were found to be "inconsistent and misleading." Ann Anastasi told police she had not recently shot a gun, although gunshot residue was found on her body and clothing.According to charging documents, a review of Ann Anastasi's cellphone records found text messages on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 between her and her 13-year-old daughter discussing the planned murders.Police said the suspects enlisted the aid of the girl's boyfriend to commit the murders. The boyfriend, Gabriel Ezekiel Struss, of Annapolis, was arrested early Friday.Struss was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and two counts of a firearm use in a felony crime of violence. Struss was denied bail during a hearing Monday morning.According to charging documents, cellphone records revealed text messages between Struss, Ann Anastasi and the girl on the evening of Oct. 4 into Oct. 5 regarding the two killings.In one specific text, according to charging documents, Struss told the girl not to speak with police or that he "would be going away for life." An examination of text records discovered that the girl discussed with Struss the possibility of her taking the "fall," or blame, for the murders. "He admitted to being the person who stabbed the victim downstairs and shot Mr. Anastasi," Adams said.Ann Anastasi told police she took Struss to her home on Oct. 4, the night the murders occurred, according to charging documents. Struss' grandfather, Bob Snodgrass, told WBAL-TV 11 News he was dumbfounded."I just don't believe he would do something like that. I don't because the way I talk to him and stuff. I really don't believe it," Snodgrass said.The girl was charged as a juvenile with two counts of first-degree murder and accessory after the fact.Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact police at 410-222-4756 or 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Lowell Melser contributed to this report.22874254