Charges have been pressed against suspects in two homicide cases from last year, including the shooting death of a young mother in the Town of Tonawanda and a double homicide in the City of Buffalo. Two of the four suspects are tied to both cases.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced late Friday morning that Sharee Bailey, Ernest Green and Daniel Rodriguez are charged in the murder of 31-year-old Danielle Cretacci inside an Ebling Avenue home in August 2019. They are also charged in the attempted murders of Cretacci's two daughters, ages 8 and 11 at the time.
Bailey, Green and Wayne Robbins are charged in the shooting deaths Bethany Malloy and Shaquiel St. John inside a home on Merrimac Street in Buffalo the following month.
The motives in both cases are believed to be robbery. According to investigators, Cretacci had recently received a large sum of money through a personal injury settlement, while Malloy was about to receive one. Both, Flynn suggested, had revealed their financial situations in social media communications but added that the victims did not appear to know each other.
"Sharee Bailey was the common thread here. Sharee Bailey knew both Cretacci in Tonawanda, and she knew Malloy in the Merrimack matter," Flynn said. "I don't know if Green new anyone. I have reason to believe that Rodriguez knew Cretacci, but Sharee Bailey is the common denominator, along with Green in setting up, allegedly, both of these homicides."
The Cretacci murder stunned the Tonawanda community. Town Supervisor Joseph Emminger lives not far from the murder scene.
"The work that started on that morning in August by our police department was exemplary," he said. "I mean, they worked every day from that day forward until the arrest of those individuals."
Flynn recalled the night of the Cretacci murder, explaining her 11-year-old daughter played dead until the suspects left the house. Once she knew it was safe, she left the house to seek help from neighbors. The eight-year-old, meanwhile, was found cuddling next to her mother by officers as they arrived on the scene.
But Flynn also stated that while the Tonawanda case was higher in profile, the Buffalo homicides were no less tragic.
"The two victims in the Merrimack case, they have families too. They've lost a family member now and they have loved ones," Flynn said. "And my heart goes out to their families as well. My heart goes out to all the families here and all the victims here."
The DA added that Bailey, Green and Rodriguez also face unrelated federal drug and gun charges.
