Murder charges reinstated for suspects in death of Detroit firefighter

David Madrigal was beaten to death in his home on Vaughn Street

DETROIT – Murder charges were reinstated Tuesday morning for two defendants whom authorities say were involved in the death of a Detroit firefighter.

Judge Michael Calahan granted the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office motion to reinstate murder charges against 19-year-old Christian Rasnick and 33-year-old Nichole O’Neill during a circuit court hearing.

The original murder charges were dropped in May.

A third suspect, Timmy Soto, 32, is charged with murder, armed robbery, arson, larceny and other charges. Murder charges were never dropped for Soto.

What happened

David Madrigal, 59, was beaten to death last December in his home on Vaughn Street. Police said an upstairs bedroom had been ransacked and a safe was missing. Madrigal’s SUV was gone and was later found torched in an alley.

Madrigal died from blunt-force trauma, according to the medical examiner’s office. Court testimony revealed that a weight plate was used to deliver the blows that killed him.

Soto said in court that Madrigal started “rubbing” on O’Neill and that he had memories of when his stepfather touched his sister, according to the interview transcript. He said it set him off and he hit Madrigal in the head with the weight.

He had been a Detroit firefighter for nearly 26 years. Madrigal was known as "Super Dave" by his colleagues at Engine 33. 

Detroit judge dismissed murder charges

A Detroit judge in May dismissed murder charges against two of three people accused of killing Madrigal.

Judge Kenneth King ruled during a preliminary hearing that O’Neill and Rasnick would not stand trial on felony murder charges. He also dismissed a felony burglary charge against O’Neill and an arson charge against Rasnick.

King called the suspects “scum,” but said the law forced his hand in dismissing the murder charges.

“You have every right to be mad at all three of these people that are in front of us, even go so far as to call them scum,” King said. “(It's) very, very upsetting that this happened to a person that serviced the city in the way that Mr. Madrigal did, but I can’t let my emotions guide what has been presented here by way of evidence by way of the people.”

King addressed Madrigal’s family and expressed his condolences, but said there was no evidence that O’Neill and Rasnick participated in the homicide.

Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com for updates to this continuing story.