An American citizen linked with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia attack that claimed six lives – among them two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to plead guilty to a single offense of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a deal to be sanctioned by the judiciary in the current month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Authorities confirmed direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, murdered officers from Queensland Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the rural site.
American officials stated Day communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the fatal attack.
He described Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling them he desired to be at the scene in person.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times recording on YouTube after the shootings, saying authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Legal records show the defendant stockpiled a collection of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a rural property in Heber, AZ, that was equipped with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper hide.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” Day said in the agreement submitted in court.
He stated he regularly accessed both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the alleged issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has completed 24 months in custody, could receive a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
