BRIGHTON, Colo. — The man accused of attacking a family at their Brighton home with a machete — and killing a mother — on Aug. 11 has been formally charged with murder and attempted murder.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday morning that Lonny Lynn McNair, 48, of Brighton, was formally charged with multiple charges in connection to the attack, including first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, assault and burglary.
The charges stem from an alleged attack by McNair at a home along the 2400 block of Cherry Circle around 9:50 p.m. on Aug. 11. When police arrived to the scene, they found 51-year-old Bonnie Lynn Skinner bleeding from several lacerations outside the home. She was pronounced dead at Platte Valley Medical Center, according to the district attorney's office.
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Three other people — Skinner's husband, daughter and a family friend — were injured in the attack as well.
According to an arrest affidavit, McNair allegedly struck the husband in the back of the head with a machete, injured the daughter's finger, and hit the family friend in the back with the machete.
The affidavit says that the daughter told police McNair struck her mother several times with the machete and a neighbor said she witnessed a man run over Skinner twice with a vehicle.
McNair fled from the scene in his car afterward and, after a high-speed chase, crashed off Interstate 76 and E. Bromley Lane, according to the district attorney's office. He was arrested and taken into custody.
Below are the charges against McNair:
- First-degree murder after deliberation
- First-degree felony murder
- Three counts of attempted first-degree murder
- First-degree assault against at at-risk person
- Two counts of first-degree assault
- Two counts of first-degree burglary
- Second-degree assault
- Vehicular eluding
- 12 counts of crime of violence
Brighton police spokesman John Bradley said the family knew the suspect and had "apparently helped him out in the past."
McNair has a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
