UPDATE, 1pm Tuesday, December 9:
Seventeen-year-old Mani Aldridge knew the man who is charged with the murder of her and her mother in their Rugby Avenue home, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said at a December 9 press conference.
“We have no reason to believe this is a random act,” he said.
Police arrested Gene Everett Washington, 30, on a probation violation December 8 outside his home in Barracks West, where Robin Aldridge’s Toyota Matrix was discovered. “Probable cause developed for two charges of first-degree murder,” said Longo. He also said a substantial amount of evidence was recovered from a dumpster there.
Longo did not provide a timeline for the Friday, December 6, slayings, but did say Robin Aldridge’s car left the house about 6pm. “We can speculate the deaths already occurred,” he said.
Neighbors reported a fire in the home before midnight. “The fire could have burned for several hours,” said Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner, who noted that part of the first floor had collapsed. “That says it had been burning a while.”
The following story was posted at 10:12pm Monday, December 8:
Police announced Monday evening that they have arrested Gene Everett Washington, 30, and charged him with two counts of first degree murder in connection with the deaths of 58-year-old Robin Christine Aldridge and her daughter, 17-year-old Mani Viktoria Aldridge, who were found dead in their burned Rugby Avenue home.
The Charlottesville Police Department sent out a press release on the arrest just before 9:30pm Monday, just hours after holding a press conference during which Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo called the Aldridge’s murders “an evil, senseless and brutal crime.” Mother and daughter were found after neighbors called 911 to report their house was on fire shortly before midnight on Friday night. They had suffered “blunt force trauma,” according to police, who believed that the fire was intentionally set. Police said a suspect then stole Robin Aldridge’s car, which was later found in the Barracks West apartment complex parking lot. Police said today that forensic evidence was recovered from a dumpster there.
Police gave no other information about Washington or his arrest, but said they would hold a press conference Tuesday.
Charlottesville court records show several prior offenses for a Gene Everett or Gene E. Washington—both the full name and middle initial are used, but the date of birth is the same for both—including breaking and entering, grand larceny, and numerous probation violations.
