5 key details about Joseph and Olga Connell's double murder
Joseph and Olga Connell were murdered in 2013 in a shocking murder-for-hire plot. Christopher Rivers, Joseph's business partner, arranged the killing using his drug dealer, Joshua C. Bey, to hire a hitman after promising payment.
Rivers' motive was financial gain, as he stood to benefit from a $1 million insurance policy they had for their business. The crime occurred in New Castle County, Delaware, and quickly gained media attention.
An intricate plot involved numerous individuals, each working under the direction of Rivers. Despite trying to avoid the prosecution, Rivers was convicted of first-degree murder and received two life terms. His appeal, which claimed that he was given an unfair trial and that the evidence against him was improperly used, was dismissed by the Delaware Supreme Court in 2023.
The case of Christopher Rivers and the double homicide of Joseph and Olga Connell will be featured on Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen. The episode airs on February 6, 2025, at 8 PM ET and will provide insights into the crime, investigation, and trial.
Five key facts about the murder of Joseph and Olga Connell
1) The business partnership and financial motive
According to The News Journal, Joseph Connell and Christopher Rivers co-owned C&S Auto Repair on Concord Pike in Talleyville. However, their partnership was strained due to financial difficulties. Rivers was deep in debt and had a drug history of painkillers and other chemicals.
According to The News Journal, he attempted to find a way out of this financial mess by scheming to dissolve the partnership by ordering the murder of Connell. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Rivers wanted a $1 million payout, which would have been received if each one had died after taking out a policy on themselves to pay off the business mortgage.
2) The murder-for-hire scheme
According to The News Journal, Rivers did not work alone. He called in his cocaine dealer, Joshua C. Bey, to murder Joseph and Olga Connell and offered him $60,000 for the task. Bey hired men to commit the crime. It was planned in such a manner that both Joseph and Olga Connell should be killed to wipe out all eyewitnesses.
The murder of Joseph and Olga Connell occurred at the Paladin Club apartments in New Castle County September in 2013. The brutality shook the area due to both individuals being an open and wholesome part of that society.
3) The Probe and Arrest
According to The News Journal, in the process of investigating the murders of Joseph and Olga Connell, police officers also found the specifics about Rivers since several of them spoke out because of the actions committed by them through him. Josh was the one who had arranged for the hitmen. He, however, attempted to collect the amount promised after murdering Rivers.
Such post-murder communication had been crucial to connect Rivers with the crime. The evidence compiled included testimony by Josh and Aaron Thompson, the hired gunman. Both Josh and Aaron Thompson had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
4) The trial and conviction
According to The News Journal, Christopher Rivers was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. At trial, the prosecutors presented much evidence, including testimonies of participants in the crime. The case was covered extensively by the media, with accounts of Rivers' financial problems, his drug dependence, and his last hope for profit from the death of Connell.
The defense team argued that the publicity before the trial was excessive and biased, arguing it made a fair trial impossible in New Castle County. The court found that the process of choosing a jury had been fair, so it ruled out the claims. In 2016, Rivers was found guilty and given two life terms in prison.
5) The Appeal and Supreme Court Ruling
After being convicted, Christopher Rivers filed an appeal with the Delaware Supreme Court, claiming the lower court wrongly denied a change of venue and admitted certain statements by Joshua Bey.
Rivers argued that media coverage had made a fair trial impossible. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, ruling that the trial court acted within its discretion. The court also decided that Bey's statements were admissible, as they helped determine Rivers' involvement. Rivers was sentenced to life in prison.
Watch Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen on February 6, 2025, at 8 PM ET for more details about the murder of Joseph and Olga Connell.
