PENSACOLA, Florida (AP) - Florida authorities say a man killed his mother and two half-brothers in an attack that the local sheriff had previously linked to ritualistic practices and the blue moon.
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office says 58-year Donald Hartung Sr. was arrested Tuesday and will be charged with three counts of first-degree murder. State Attorney Bill Eddins says he will seek the death penalty.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan says complicated DNA and other forensic testing caused the three-month lag in arresting Hartung, who was interviewed in the days after the deaths. Morgan says he made a link between the killings and the blue moon because of statements Hartung initially made to investigators about his ritualistic practices.
An attorney representing Hartung did not respond to phone messages left by The Associated Press.
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