The man accused of kidnapping and killing 20-year-old Alyssiah Wiley appeared in court Thursday morning. Jermaine Richards, 30, dated Alyssiah Wiley for more than four years, but court documents say Richards threatened to kill Wiley during previous arguments.
Richards turned himself in to State Police on May 18, nearly one month after Wiley was reported missing. According to the warrant for Richards’ arrest, Richards was a person of the interest in the case early in the investigation.
An arrest was made once the remains of Wiley were found in Trumbull on May 17 and GPS and cellphone records placed Richards in the same area, the day after Alyssiah disappeared.
After turning himself in to authorities, bond was set for Richards at $1 million. The case was transferred to the Superior Court in Bridgeport, where major crimes are heard. Richards is charged with kidnapping and murder.
“Our next court date is first for the court to deal with the issue of a potential conflict, that’s on July 10,” said John Gulash Jr., Richards’ attorney. “July 22 would be the next, shall I say, normal court date when the court will set a probably cause hearing.”
Corrinna Martin, Alyssiah’s mother went to the courthouse Thursday, telling Fox Connecticut, “Anyone that has lost a loved one in such a heinous way, the pain, it doesn’t go away. It doesn’t subside. It’s constantly there.”