American Man Connected to Australian Gunmen Secures Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla attack that took the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will appear in court on October 21 after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be sanctioned by the judiciary this month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities confirmed clear connections between Day and the Train couple through online posts.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials said the accused corresponded via social media with the Trains around the time of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Legal filings outlined how the couple had uploaded an end-times recording on the video platform after the incident, stating authorities “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,” they expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Legal Proceedings
Legal records show the defendant accumulated a collection of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a gun 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’,” he said in the plea deal filed in court.
Day said he frequently used both the weapons storage and the firearms, and also trained others on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the accused issuing threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on court documents, Day had been banned from owning weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has served two years in custody, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
