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23-Year-Old Man Accused Of Raping, Burning Elderly Woman Before Murdering Her In Home
According to authorities, he confessed to the grisly crime.
A 23-year-old man is being accused in the violent assault and murder of an elderly woman in Seattle, Washington. According to Q13, Michael A. Giordano was charged with aggravated first-degree murder on Wednesday in the attack that left 63-year-old Jennifer Ayers dead. His bail was set at $10 million.
The incident took place Monday morning in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood. Authorities came to Ayers' home after receiving a 911 call from a witness who reportedly saw Giordano leaving the property and throwing credit cards into the street and bushes, reported KIRO7.
Upon entering the home, police discovered it was ransacked and filled with smoke and "a significant amount of blood." Ayers' body was found bound and burning.
According to authorities, Giordano confessed to the grisly crime. He said he picked Ayers' home at random based on the cars parked outside her house. He reportedly snuck through an unlocked door and tied Ayers up with cords from an Xbox controller.
He then stabbed her multiple times and demanded to know where her valuables were kept. He said he then raped the victim and set her on fire as a way to hide the assault. Giordano allegedly said he tried to mislead the cops by writing messages on the wall in the victim’s blood as a way to make them think the killer was a satanic follower.
Neighbors were horrified by the incident.
"I've never heard of anything, actually in my life, as terrible and disgusting as that ever," said neighbor Erika Olsen. "I can't even imagine the torture. I can't even imagine. Just thinking about it kind of makes me want to throw up."
She added, "It could’ve just been anybody. Any house he could've picked. It could’ve been ours, and I was home that day and I had left my door unlocked earlier that day so I just--it's so hard to even find the words to even say."
Friends say that Ayers has a son who was away at college. He plans to hold a memorial walk in the neighborhood in her honor.
As Seattle PI shares, Giordano faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. It is unclear at this time if his attorney has released a statement on his behalf.
[Photo: Facebook]
