Police: Killers Contacted Betts On ‘Sex Chat Line’
Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Major announced on Monday the arrests of four individuals in connection with the murder of middle school principal Brian Betts.
"We believe the motive of this crime was most likely robbery," says Major, adding that police have surveillance footage showing the suspects using several credit cards taken from the slain principal's home.
Major says the alleged killers contacted Betts through a telephone chat line. "It's been described as a sex chat line," he says.
Sharif Tau Lancaster, 18, of the 5300 block of 5th Street NW, and Alante Saunders, 18, of unknown address, were each charged with first-degree murder.
Major says police found Lancaster's prints inside Betts' home and found Saunders' prints inside the slain principal's car.
Police have also arrested Lancaster's mother, Artura Otey Williams, 46, on stolen property charges related to the case.
Another suspect in police custody has yet to be charged.
WaPo reports that police have video of Williams using the slain principal's credit card at a Giant food store on East West Highway in Silver Spring on April 16.
Betts was a beloved principal at the District's Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson. He was found fatally shot in his Silver Spring home on April 15. There were no signs of forced entry.
8:56 pm
Here is some additional information and it's not just a rumor. Mr. Betts was leading a dual life, one in which he had frequent contact with ruff trade gay drug using hustlers that he met at a DC gay bar called 'The Fireplace' and on line.
9:12 pm
I am glad the Montgomery County Police Department captured the "savages" that alleged to have killed this man. On the Washington Post and WTOP blogs, I read some of the most vile and hateful comments by both blacks and whites about this man's sexuality. Some assumed Brian Betts was gay from the beginning, because he was over 40, single, no girlfriend, or children. This assumption never came to my mind. Why is it, women can be single over 40 with no boyfriend or children and most in society don't assume, they are a lesbian? The late Dr. Dorothy Height was never married or had children. Maybe people straight or gay choose not to be married with children.
According to Brian Betts colleagues and his family, he was a good person. This is all that should matter and these "savages" that alleged to have murdered him should be given the death sentence. Montgomery County, Maryland is too liberal like D.C. and they will not give these "savages" the death sentence.
Remember, he who's without sin cast the first stone. People straight, gay, bisexual, crippled, blind, etc. have skeletons in their closets. Please don't be so judgmental about Mr. Betts alleged to have called a sex chatline. People do get lonely at times for whatever reason. I hope Brian Betts soul can rest in peace knowing his alleged murderers has been captured.
9:15 pm
Thanks Rick for sharing that information. It's sad too many gay men have too sneak around to have sexual relations. After reading the mean hateful comments in the Washington Post and on WTOP about Mr. Betts, I understand why so many gay men stay in the closet regardless of their race. No good person deserved to die like this.
9:30 pm
This is sad news, but I am glad they caught the thugs.
9:31 pm
Someone made a comment that this man was on the gay site ADAM.
9:42 pm
This is not the end of this case. Betts liked them young and black. Is it any wonder why he accepted a job at an all black middle school?
10:02 pm
WHAT A PRIME EXAMPLE MS RHEE OFFERED TO THE CHILDREN OF A SOCIETY THAT SUFFERS FAR TOO MANY ILLS.
HOW MANY OTHER WHITE, PROMISCUOUS HOMOSEXUALS DID SHE PULL FROM MO-COUNTY TO RUN PREDOM BLACK SCHOOLS?
10:03 pm
Jay I love my men 25 to 35, white, masculine, and all American like Alex O'Loughlin, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Phillippe, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Chris Evans. LOL LOL There's nothing wrong with dreaming or fantasying. I would never call a chatline, Craigslist, or gay website looking for sex.
10:09 pm
NOODLEZ, I hope they never catch King Fenty on a gay chatline or website on the downlow. LOL
I wouldn't be surprised to hear Miss Graham and Miss Catania were on a gay chatline looking to pay for sex from some male prostitute. These 2 are both Trolls.
Gay men are still sneaking around and having sex in Malcom X Park. No wonder AIDS is spreading within the black community because of all the downlow brothers. It's so sad!
11:36 pm
This story is becoming more intriguing as the details come out. Stop idolizing people until you have all the facts
1:52 am
So wise my friend. I have a strict no gay idol policy too. However, I did make an exception by voting for Adam Lambert.
7:07 am
Although at 18, you're still considered an adult..but I do find it uncomfortable that Betts, a principal of a middle school, would have the terribly poor judgement to "hook up" with 18 yo teens for sex through a phone sex line and invite them to his home...
8:03 am
No one should have to die because of their sexual orientation, nor does your sexual orientation determine your effectiveness as a school administrator. A middle school does not usually have 18 year old students. So, let's wait and see what other information comes to light before we start casting Mr. Betts as a roving pedophile, shall we? I am not gay, nor I do defend child predators, but I do not rush to judgment.
If Mr. Betts turns out to be one of the DCPS employees that Ms. Rhee should have fired for "inappropriate contact with students," everyone in DC, MD, and VA will smell Ms. Rhee burning as she goes from the frying pan straight to the fire.
8:47 am
Not trying to spread the gossip and it is absolutely tragic what happened to this man. He didn't ask to be murdered. However, it is troubling that he seemed to invite the two 18 year old black young males over to his house for some sort of sexual activity after talking to them online. And that he worked at an all black middle school smells a bit of pedophilia. I know he was a great principal, but it reminds me of the boy scout leaders or male swim coaches who prey on their boy scouts or boy/girl swimmers. This was inevitable to happen if the types he was contacting and paying(?) for sex were thuggish types or had questionable backgrounds. Even those who hang out at bars you would want to avoid. I feel awful for his family, but he was living a risky dual life that never ends well whether you're male/female or black/white. When you're around scum, you're gonna end up hurt or dead.
9:08 am
Thank you EmmaJulie! As a black, gay man, I find this a bit umcomfortable that he would have this poor judgement to invite these teens to his home for sex -- period!!!
When this case first hit the news, I knew immediately what happened (as I'm sure DCPS) -- we see these types of cases in the gay community all the time.
And I think when all the details really get out, more people will become uncomfortable.
I am not associating gays = pedophilia at all. My concern is that he was a principal! My feelings woould be the same if he were a straight man and 18 yo girls had committed this terrible murder.
10:00 am
To those who's mind wants to leap to pedophilia, please first consider whether you yourself could tell if someone was 18, 25 or 35 by the sound of their voice over the phone.
Also, showing a bit of respect wouldn't hurt either.
10:01 am
THE HIRING OF BETTS AND HIS ILK THROUGHOUT DCPS SHOWS THE LEVEL OF PANDERING THAT THE FENTY ADMINISTRATION WAS LOWERING ITS STANDARDS TO.
FENTY THOUGHT BY GRANTING HOMOSEXUALS LIKE BETTS POSITIONS WITHIN DC GOVT, BY THE BULIDING OF MULTI-LEVEL OVERPRICED CONDOS THROUGH REGENTRIFICATION AND BY FORCING THE HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE BILL THOUGH THAT IT WOULD GARNER MORE OF THE WHAT HE PERCEIVED TO BE HIGH QUALITY FOLK HE COULD COUNT ON IN THE POLLS BY WHAT HE HAS GIVEN THEM!
THIS WAS HIS PLAN! CATANIA WAS PROBABLY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PROCESS.
PROBLEM IS A TIGER CAN’T CHANGE ITS STRIPES AINT THAT RIGHT MR BETTS. TRUST AND BELIEVE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME BETTS WANTED BLACK YOUNG MEN TO FULFILL HIS NASTY ASS DESIRES.
LOOK PRINCIPAL BETTS IS DEAD AND IT’S UNFORTUNATE. THE FOLKS WHO SHOT HIM SHOULD BE PUNISHED ON A FED LEVEL AND HAVE THE BOOK THROWN AT THEM BECAUSE THEY CROSSED STATE LINES TO DO IT! MR BETTS IS LAUDED FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK HE HAS DONE BECAUSE WE KNOW ABOUT IT. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE SHIT WE DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY? FROM WHAT IVE BEEN READING THIS DUDE WAS A STRAIGHT UP PERVERT WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE A PRINCIPAL NOT A PRINCIPAL WHO HAPPENS TO BE A PERVERT.
10:13 am
Thank God the Montgomery County Police had the case because MPD can't find their asshole with a flashlight even if they tried!
10:16 am
Noodlez, continue speaking the truth!
11:22 am
Amen Tony.
God's truth must be given the respect it demands by using CAPS lock.
How else can we to know if it's the TRUTH or just idiotic thoughts of a lonely internet commenter?
3:04 pm
@creativemeat WHO YOU CALLING LONELY!!!
YOU MUST BE ONE OF THE PICKLE PUSHING PROSTATE MASSAGERS WHO IS A BIT NERVOUS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE APPEALS COURT DECISION TODAY!
OR MAYBE YOU ONE OF THOSE COCKSUCKERS WHO IS HAPPY THE WEED BILL PASSED.
WHOEVA YOU ARE YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR SORRY ASS BACK HOME AND DECLARE YOUR HOMOSEXUALITY THERE INSTEAD OF RUNNING HERE TO OPEN YOUR CLOSET DOOR!
4:04 pm
Aren't we talking about a couple of thugs who misrepresented themselves in order to get into Mr. Bett's home to rob him? Why is everyone assuming that he knew they were only 18, or even that he knew more than one was going to show up?
7:53 pm
Brian Betts might have been a gay male, but this doesn't give these "savages" the right to kill him. For those that call me a racist for using the term "savages", I refer to all regardless of race as "savages", if they commit a horrific crime.
Gays and lesbians have sexual needs and desires like heterosexuals do. Unfortunately, the gay life style seems to be a lonely life style and society pressures about being married with children doesn't make it easy for gays or lesbians.
What Brain Betts did in his private life with consenting adults is none of my business. There are a lot of straight men that is over 40 and prefer young legal age women 18 to 25. My neighbor is 54 years old and he was having sex with his 26 year old colleague. I am married, but if I were single, I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with a young woman 26 and I am approaching 50. Many of us have gay and lesbian brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, cousins, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, etc. Do we love them any less? Their sexuality is a small part of who they are. I personally don't support gay marriage, but it's now legal in the District of Columbia and I will not protest against it. If these "savages" are found guilty, I would like to see them tortured to death.
Please let Mr. Brian Betts spirit rest in peace. Hopefully he's in a better place than here on earth, because we are living in he$$ on earth. There's so much crazy sh&t and so much stress in the world. The United States is becoming a third world country and we are going down hill daily. We are living in the last days on earth before mankind destroys us all. Guess what, I look forward to the world ending. LOL LOL
8:35 am
This is the tip of the iceberg. Michelle Rhee only recruits perverts and pedophiles who are not of the black culture as role models for african american males . She is Satanic ! Parents in DCPS shoud not allow Rhee to spread her personal perverted culture . She and KJ should ba banned to his PEDOPHILE PLANTATION- WEDDING BELLS !
3:51 pm
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