Police: 3 men arrested after killing Murrysville man over $400K debt

Authorities have arrested three men in the death of a Murrysville businessman whose body was discovered Friday in Clarion County.

George Dayieb, 57, of Murrysville, had been reported missing and endangered to Murrysville police. He was found by investigators inside a trailer with a single gunshot wound to the back of his head, Allegheny County police said.

County detectives learned Dayieb left his home Wednesday morning to meet Jeremy Fisher, 41, of Coraopolis, and collect a debt owed by Fisher, a partner with Dayieb in an excavation company. Investigators said Fisher owed more than $400,000 for some equipment Dayieb purchased for him, and they believe that debt was a motive for killing Dayieb.

Fisher, who is a suspect in the death, was arrested Sunday in Midway, Washington County, and was awaiting extradition to Allegheny County.

Allegheny County police on Saturday took into custody two alleged co-conspirators, William Fortuna, 58, of Conway, and Braden Elliott, 20, of Chicora.

All three are facing multiple charges including criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy and abuse of a corpse, police said.

In a criminal complaint and at a Sunday press conference, Allegheny County police set forth the alleged conspiracy to murder Dayieb, based on surveillance video, cellphone data, license plate readers and interviews, including a statement Elliott provided to police.

Elliott told police he conspired with Fisher and Fortuna to murder Dayieb on Wednesday, according to court documents in the case.

Victor Joseph, assistant superintendent of county police, said the investigation revealed that Fisher obtained a revolver from his employee, Fortuna. Fisher then gave the weapon to his nephew, Elliott, in a parking lot along Broadhead Road in Coraopolis. Joseph said Elliott later fired the gun while he was seated behind Dayieb in Fisher’s Dodge 3500 pickup truck. Police said the bullet struck the rear of Dayieb’s head.

Police said the shot was fired as Fisher was driving the truck that was also occupied by Dayieb and Elliott. According to court documents, Fisher had stopped at a gas station in Portersville, Butler County, after the gun failed to fire in Elliott’s initial attempt to shoot Dayieb from behind.

Unknown to Dayieb, Fortuna was following Fisher’s vehicle at a distance in his own Dodge truck and fixed the problem with the gun during the stop at the gas station, court documents indicate.

“Once they were back on the move, Fisher at some point texted Elliott, telling him ‘now,’ signaling him to shoot George,” Joseph said. “Elliott then shot George one time in the back of the head, killing him.”

Fisher previously prepared the truck by removing the passenger seat headrest and placing a blanket on the seat, police said.

Fisher reportedly promised to give Elliott a diesel truck in return for his participation in the conspiracy, according to court documents.

County police began their investigation after Kennedy Township police discovered an unoccupied Ford F-350 pickup truck shortly before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Robinson Boulevard and Ewing Road in Kennedy. Police determined the truck was registered to Dayieb’s company, F5 Construction Services.

Police said Kendra Remich, described as Dayieb’s significant other, told investigators that Dayieb left their Murrysville home shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and planned that day to meet Fisher to collect the owed money, which was to have been paid through a wire transfer, according to court documents.

Police said security camera video showed Dayieb entering Fisher’s vehicle at about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday at the Broadhead Road lot.

After Dayieb was shot, Fisher and Fortuna parked their vehicles behind a garbage bin along Glenwood Way in Butler, and the pair left in Fortuna’s vehicle with the murder weapon, and Dayieb’s cellphone and car keys, police said. Fisher reportedly told Elliott to take Dayieb’s remains to a camp off Route 38 in Clarion County that was known to Elliott and Fisher.

Elliott later texted Fortuna, asking “what to do with the pipe,” a reference to Dayieb’s body, according to court documents. According to police, Elliott said he was told to conceal the body and described dragging it into a camper and covering it with cushions and pillows.

When Fisher’s truck became stuck in mud at the camp, Fortuna arrived to give Elliott a ride. According to court documents, the pair returned the following day, freed the vehicle and then cleaned both Fisher and Fortuna’s trucks at a truck wash and detailing business in Harrisville, Butler County.

During the police investigation, Fortuna told detectives about helping to free Fisher’s truck and led them to the camp, according to court documents.

Investigators returned with a search warrant on Friday and discovered Dayieb’s body at about 4:30 p.m. at the camp along Myers Hollow Road in Licking Township.

Fortuna and Elliott were placed in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting preliminary hearings.