Police arrested a second person this week in connection with the murder of a man in a Center City hotel for which a transgender sex worker has already been charged.
Richard Collins, 20, was arrested Monday at his home in Bridgeton, N.J., and is accused of attempting to help the suspect cover up the murder.
Peaches Burton, 22, is accused of beating and strangling Patrick Michael Brady, 49, in Brady’s room Oct. 30 at the Omni Hotel. Brady, a married father from Thorndale, was an IT worker at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital who police say often stayed at the Omni, at Fourth and Chestnut, when he had early-morning work meetings.
Fire and rescue workers were called to the hotel shortly after 10 a.m. Oct. 31 for a report of a small fire in an eighth-floor room, where they eventually found Brady’s body. The Medical Examiner determined Brady died by manual strangulation and suffered trauma to his face, hands and neck.
Brady let Burton into his room voluntarily, although police are unsure how the pair met and what led to the altercation between them.
Police believe that after Burton allegedly killed Brady, the suspect called Collins for help.
Police spokesperson Lt. Ray Evers said Burton and Collins attempted to make Brady’s death look like an accident.
“Collins helped Burton move the body from one place in the room to another, but I’m not sure what they did to manipulate the body in any certain way,” Evers said.
Burton is accused of setting Brady’s body on fire before leaving the room.
The pair also took Brady’s credit cards, cell phone and identification, and Collins allegedly stole a radio belonging to the hotel.
Evers said investigators were led to Collins after tracing Burton’s whereabouts before and after the murder. He was unsure whether Collins also identifies as transgender.
Collins was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and abuse of a corpse. In the past, he has been charged with theft, assault, reckless endangerment and loitering and obstruction of a highway, charges usually related to prostitution.
Both suspects are currently in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.
Burton will be arraigned at 9 a.m. Nov. 24 in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St., and Collins at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17 in Room 404.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].