Viswa Vanapalli
In January 1992, Christopher O’Brien, a young man who seemed to have finally turned his life around, failed to return home from work. The authorities eventually learned that he had been murdered in an act of senseless violence. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Perfect Murder: Ride With the Devil’ delves into how the authorities caught Christopher’s killers and what happened to them in the end. So, if you’re curious to find out more, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Christoper O’Brien Die?
Christopher grew up in Bronx, New York, with his parents. At the time of the incident, he was in his mid-twenties and worked at a car dealership in Smithtown on Long Island, New York. The young man seemed to have everything going for him — a great job as a salesman and a budding relationship with his girlfriend, Danielle. They lived together in Long Island. One night in January 1992, the couple had plans to have dinner together, but Christopher never showed up.
A worried Danielle checked with Christopher’s sister, Margaret, but she didn’t hear from him either. Margaret eventually reported Christopher missing. During the early hours of the day after Christopher didn’t return, a passerby found a dead body off the parkway near Coney Island, New York. The authorities arrived to see Christopher’s body lying facedown with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was shot once in the head and the torso with a .38-caliber handgun.
Who Killed Christopher O’Brien?
The authorities then spoke to Christopher’s colleagues at the car dealership. They learned that on the day he went missing, he had taken a man on a test drive in a black pickup truck but never returned. The manager had even reported the car missing. The police then knew they had to identify who Christopher left with. Then, as per the show, the police received a tip regarding two men leaving in a black pickup truck from around the area where the body was found. This happened on the evening Christopher went missing, and witnesses heard two shots.
After ruling out a person of interest, the case blew wide open with an arrest in Edison, New Jersey. George Fiber and Michael Trudeau were arrested during an armed robbery at a convenience store, as per the show. The vehicle used by them turned out to be the stolen pickup truck, and the gun recovered was a .38 caliber. Furthermore, George seemed to match the description of the man that left with Christopher back then.
When questioned, the two men initially denied having anything to do with the murder, but each claimed the other was the shooter upon being pressed further. As per the show, George and Michael had run a similar scam in Pennsylvania where they stole a vehicle, but the victim there survived. The ID production further described how the prosecution believed that George had pulled a gun on Christopher during a test drive and forced him to pick up Michael. They stole the truck and then killed Christopher, fearing that he would identify them later.
Where Are George Fiber and Michael Trudeau Now?
According to the show, Michael pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to fifteen years to life. As for George, he stood trial in January 1995. Ballistic testing confirmed that the .38-caliber gun recovered upon their arrest was indeed the murder weapon. As a result, George was found guilty of second-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, and possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.
Prison records indicate that George remains incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility in Chemung County, New York. Now about 49 years old, he will be eligible for parole in 2029. On the other hand, Michael, who was only 19 years old at the time of his arrest, was released on parole in August 2017. From what we can tell, he seems to have stayed out of trouble since then and has maintained a low profile. His last known location is Beacon, New York.
Read More: How Did Keith Bryan Die?
