Daniel Brennan was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
A New Jersey man accused of killing a woman he met online has been linked to the murder of his pregnant fiancée, who was found dead more than six years ago, authorities said.
Courtney Allen was 24 years old when she was found strangled to death at the Vineland home she shared with the father of her 2-year-old daughter, Daniel Brennan, on Dec. 31, 2011. She was pregnant with their second child at the time of her murder, officials said.
Brennan had reportedly called 911 to say Allen was unresponsive and her death was not initially ruled a homicide.
An autopsy revealed she had been strangled and suffered a cut to her lip, fingernail marks on her face and extensive hemorrhaging of her tongue.
Police said Brennan gave contradictory statements about what happened. Brennan allegedly told police he had been in and out of the house multiple times that day and that he found her face down and unresponsive in the basement, according to court documents obtained by The Daily Journal.
Only he and Allen’s 16-year-old sister were reportedly at the home between the period of time when Allen was seen alive and then discovered dead.
Allen’s case went cold for years, but police have now alleged that they can tie Brennan to the expectant mother’s grisly killing.
The charges came after Brennan was arrested in July for the death of a second girlfriend.
LeeAnn Foltrauer was found beaten to death at a house in Pitman on July 18.
She suffered fatal head wounds and evidence indicated her wrists had been bound together as she was beaten, according to court documents obtained by The Daily Journal.
Brennan, who moved in with Foltrauer after meeting her on Tinder, is accused of stealing her Nissan Rogue and her debit card. He allegedly sold the car for $100 and made multiple purchases using the debit card at stops in New Jersey and Delaware, police said.
A third girlfriend allegedly told police Brennan told her “he was going to kill her like he killed Courtney,” according to an arrest affidavit filed by police.
The woman told cops the threat was made as Brennan beat her with a belt and choked her up against a wall. She told cops he only stopped when his brother pulled him off her, according to The Daily Journal.
Brennan faces first-degree murder charges in Cumberland County and Gloucester County. He remains in Salem County Jail and is due back in court on Monday for a hearing to decide whether he will be kept in jail while awaiting trial.
RELATED STORIES
