A former Temple University police officer bludgeoned his girlfriend to death with the help of his best friend on Friday because she would not “submit,” Philly.com reports.
Aaron Wright, 47, has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, conspiracy to commit murder and abuse of a corpse for the death of 24-year-old Joyce Quaweay.
Temple Officer Marquis Robinson, 41, the couple’s roommate and Wright’s best friend, was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault and abuse of a corpse.
Homicide Capt. James Clark said the incident occurred in the Germantown home the three shared. Four children were also present when Wright used his fists and a police baton to beat Quaweay to death.
Authorities say Wright, Quaweay, Robinson and Robinson’s girlfriend lived together in the house. Clark said Wright was “extremely controlling” and became upset Friday because Quaweay was not submissive enough. Together, Wright and Robinson allegedly stripped Quaweay naked and handcuffed her to a bench. As Wright beat her, Robinson adjusted the victim’s body so Wright could attack her in several places, the homicide captain said.
“He felt like she would not submit to his authority and this was his way of punishing her to try to break her,” said Clark.
A Temple University spokesman said Wright was dismissed from the force in 2012. However, he did not say why he was let go. Robinson was fired from Temple’s police force after criminal charges were filed against him on Sunday.
The fatal beating was witnessed by Quaweay’s two daughters with Wright, ages 2 years and 10 months. Wright’s other two children, who are around the ages of 8 and 10, were also present during the unrelenting attack.
The men continued to beat Quaweay even after she died, according to police. Robinson’s girlfriend called 911 after walking in on the assault around 10:40 a.m., police said.
Arriving officers found Wright sitting on the steps leading to the second story of the residence. He stood up and said, “I’m the one you want” when police approached him.
Clark, who said Quawaey had “bruises all over her body, from the neck down,” was pronounced dead at the scene. He said the murder was “brutal and barbaric.”
Karyn Nettles-Davis was a close friend of Quaweay. The 25-year-old said the two attended West Philadelphia High School together, and that Quaweay was ambitious and independent.
“Her daughters were her everything,” she said. Her two daughters are now in the care of her mother, Nettles-Davis said.
