American Individual Linked to Australian Shooters Strikes Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single charge of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Authorities established clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
This couple, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were killed in a final shootout with police, following a extended standoff at the rural site.
US prosecutors said Day corresponded via social media with the Trains around the time of the fatal attack.
He referred to Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he desired to be at the scene physically.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times video on the video platform after the shootings, stating police “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records reveal the defendant accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper hide.
“The firearms and ammunition were kept in the mobile home I shared with S.S., in a room we called the ‘gun room’,” Day admitted in the agreement filed in court.
He said he frequently used both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also instructed individuals on how to operate the guns properly.
The bargain will result in charges dropped that relate to the alleged making of threats to public figures and federal agents.
According to legal files, Day had been banned from possessing guns and arms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
