ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. (EYT) — A trio of defendants have been held for court in the shooting death of George Dayieb, following an hours long hearing in which the shooter testified against his co-defendants.
(Photo above: Suspects in the murder of George Dayieb. Left to right, Braden Elliott, Jeremy Fisher, and William Fortuna.)
Braden Elliott, 20, of Chicora, Butler County, stands accused of Dayieb’s murder alongside his uncle, Jeremy Fisher, 41, of Coraopolis, and Fisher’s business associate, William Fortuna, 58, of Conway, Beaver County.
According to Elliott, the plot that was orchestrated by the other two.
During his testimony, which was assisted by a sign language interpreter, Elliott admitted to shooting and killing Dayieb. However, he claimed the plan was masterminded by Fisher and Fortuna.
The charges against Elliott and his co-defendants include homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy.
Elliott asserted he had not been promised leniency or special considerations in return for his testimony against Fisher and Fortuna. The defense expressed skepticism.
“Anytime you have the admitted killer — and face it, Mr. Elliott agreed that he sat behind George Dayieb and made the decision to shoot him in the back of the head … hid the body in his own trailer, he transported the body — you have to wonder what is motive is for blaming everybody else,” Fisher’s attorney Wendy Williams told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A formal arraignment for each defendant is set for next month in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint filed on December 30, 2023 in Allegheny County court, 57-year-old George Dayieb–of Murraysville, Westmoreland County, Pa. fell victim to a calculated plot devised by his business partner, Jeremy Fisher and two accomplices–Braden Elliott (Fisher’s nephew) and employee,William “Bill” Fortuna.
George Dayieb, via Facebook.
According to the complaint, the case unraveled when Dayieb’s significant other, Kendra Remich, reported him missing on December 27th. Using the “Find my iPhone” app linked to their shared AT&T cell phone plan, she traced his final movements, leading investigators to the trailhead of a path that led to the rural property where his body was discovered on December 29, 2023, in the abandoned camper.
As investigators reportedly pieced together the crime, they uncovered a series of events that were meticulously planned.
According to the complaint, Allegheny County Police detectives say the motive behind Dayieb’s murder was rooted in a financial dispute: Fisher owed Dayieb a staggering $439,432.00…money that Dayieb had loaned for the purchase of construction equipment. On December 22, 2023k Fisher told Dayieb that his aunt “Penny” would wire the full amount into his bank account and that the money would land in the account on December 26th.
When the day arrived, Remich noted that no wire transfers had been received. Upset, Dayieb went to confront Fisher, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Fisher allegedly enlisted Elliot and Fortuna in his plot to murder Dayieb. Elliot, Fisher’s nephew, was reportedly promised a diesel truck for being the triggerman. Fortuna allegedly supplied the gun, a .38 caliber revolver. Elliot told police that his uncle had asked him for help the night before, which he declined. The following morning, Fisher allegedly pressured Elliot. After the third ask, he allegedly agreed.
The complaint states that Fisher reportedly planned the attack so it would happen inside his pickup truck. He removed the headrest of the front passenger seat and then covered the seat with a thick blanket.
According to the complaint, at 10:17 a.m. on December 27th, Dayieb was seen on security camera footage getting into the front passenger seat of Fisher’s truck at a Citco gas station on Broadhead Road in Coraopolis. Seated behind him was Elliott, wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers hoodie and light blue jeans. The trio drove off. Unbeknownst to Dayieb, Fortuna reportedly followed behind in his pickup.
It was noted in the complaint that Fortuna’s gun was tucked inside Elliott’s waistband.
As they drove, Elliott allegedly drew the pistol, aimed it at the back of Dayieb’s head, and pulled the trigger. Nothing. The gun didn’t go off. Needing Fortuna’s help, they stopped at a Sunoco gas station in Portersville. While Dayieb talked on the phone and Fisher fueled up his truck, Elliott went over to Fortuna. He reportedly told police he thinks Fortuna cleaned the gun because the hammer could cock all the way back.
After using the restroom inside the service station, he reportedly walked back outside and took his seat inside Fisher’s truck.
Back on the road, seeing Mercer Bridge just ahead, Fisher allegedly texted “now” to Elliott, who delayed slightly, then allegedly placed the barrel of the gun behind Dayieb’s head and pulled the trigger. This time, the gun went off. Elliot then reached forward, reclined Dayieb’s seat, and put his hood up over his head, according to the complaint.
The two trucks then traveled to an industrial area in Butler. They parked their trucks behind a dumpster. Elliott allegedly reached into the front passenger seat and retrieved Dayieb’s phone and keys. He gave them to Fisher, who put the phone into a gray Caterpillar work glove. Dayieb’s phone was disabled at 11:57 a.m., the complaint continues.
With his task nearly completed, police say Fisher allegedly instructed Elliott to drive his truck up to “the camp,” a property in Licking Township, Clarion County, that is known to both Fisher and Elliott.
Elliot typed “camp” into his maps app, and made the 40-minute drive. Once there, he allegedly pulled Dayieb’s body from Fisher’s truck, placed it inside a decrepit camping trailer sitting on the property, and covered the body with cushions and pillows.
As Elliott attempted to leave, he faced another problem. Fisher’s truck was stuck in the mud. Unable to remove it, he called Fortuna, who came to his rescue. Having no luck getting the truck out of the mud, the duo allegedly decided to leave it there until the morning. Fortuna, noticing the blanket still inside Fisher’s truck, reportedly buried it near the camper, according to the complaint.
Fortuna then reportedly drove Elliott back to Fisher’s Moon Township home. While there, Elliott showered and gave his soiled clothes to Fortuna. Fisher instructed him to delete his texts and the address of the camp from his phone, the complaint indicates.
About half an hour later, Kennedy Township Police discovered Dayieb’s truck and were informed that he was missing and endangered.
At this point, the investigation began.
The following morning, Elliott and Fortuna allegedly returned to the Licking Township camp and were successful in removing Fisher’s truck from the mud. They reportedly took both trucks to a Harrisville truck wash, then returned Fisher’s truck to his house.
Following the alleged digital trail left by Dayieb, Fisher, Elliott, and Fortuna, it didn’t take long for police to make their way to the camp, where they discovered Dayieb’s body on December 29th around 4:30 p.m.
On the following morning, Braden Elliott allegedly confessed to Dayieb’s murder, according to the complaint.
Both Elliott and Fortuna were arrested on December 30, 2023. Fisher was picked up in Midway, Washington County on January 1, 2024.
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