A HUNTINGTON BEACH man was convicted Wednesday in the 2017 murder of two women in Westminster (Shutterstock).
A Huntington Beach man was convicted on Wednesday of the 2017 murder of two women at a party in Westminster, and then setting a fire to cover his crimes.
Christopher Ken Ireland, 42, was found guilty in Central Justice Center in Santa Ana of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson.
CHRISTOPHER IRELAND (WPD photo).
He faces a minimum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole.
Ireland was convicted of killing both Yolanda Holtrey, 59, of Westminster and her friend, Michelle Luke, 49, at Holtrey’s home in Westminster around 1:20 a.m. after attending a New Year’s party on Jan. 1, 2017. Police say that Ireland struck both women “multiple times” with a sharp instrument” and disfigured Luke’s ear during the attack.
Ireland then left the scene – a home in the 5000 block of Northwestern Way – and returned around 3 a.m., and dragged the bodies of the women into the trunk of his vehicle shortly before 4 a.m. He then set fire to the home and drove away around 4:30 a.m., according to police, before driving to a dead-end road and dumping the bodies in a vacant lot.
Neighbors called 911 to report the blaze, and firefighters noticed blood on the furniture and floor. Westminster police investigated and located the victim’s bodies and arrested Ireland.
Categories: Courts & Law
I don’t believe for a second that the sex was consensual. I believe he was raping Luke who may have been drunk when her friend confronted him and to keep his secret he killed them both. But how did the housemate hear none of this attack and only woke up during the fire? And more concerning is how the wife suspected nothing after he was gone so long and came back I am sure covered in blood. She should have been arrested too in my opinion. Sadly his evil gene pool continues in his son who hopefully will cut this evil, diabolical cancer of a “dad” out of his life