CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — Eight people have been arrested – and five charged with murder – in the death of 24-year-old Erica Bader, whose body was found in a wooded area in October.
Five of the eight are also charged with kidnapping and conspiracy, and three others are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy, and failure to report a death, the Central Falls police announced Tuesday.
All were arrested on Monday and arraigned by a justice of peace. They were arraigned at Providence District Court on Tuesday, where they did not enter a plea on the felony charges, as is customary for felony cases at the District Court.
“These arrests reflect a thorough, coordinated investigation carried out with urgency by our detectives and our partners in Pawtucket,” Central Falls Police Chief Colonel Anthony Roberson said in a statement.
Little information has been released so far about the cause of Bader’s death. Pawtucket police discovered her body on Oct. 27 in a wooded area in their city, and then notified Central Falls police, because it appeared the body had moved from an address on Central Street in Central Falls.
The police arrested six people at the time and charged them with failing to report a death. One of the women, Brittney Terpening, 34, was also charged with felony domestic assault; she was Bader’s roommate, according to court documents.
A week after Bader’s body was discovered, the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized 44 cats and four puppies from a filthy apartment inside the building where Bader lived at 382 Central St.
Terpening, Andrew Cornell, 28, Joshua Brunelle, 35, Elizabeth Durand, 41, and Stephanie Bletzer, 37, are charged with murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy. All five were ordered held without bail.
Christopher Kordalewski, 22, Joanne Miller, 26, and Cheryl Blakely, 36, are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy, and failure to report a death. The judge set bail at $30,000 with surety.
“I’m glad justice is served again, that they’ve been brought forward, all eight of them,” Crystal Smith, Bader’s stepmother, said in an interview outside the courthouse. “I’m glad they’re at where they’re at and I hope they stay there.”
The attorney general’s office and state medical examiner’s office are working with the police on the investigation.
“What happened to Erica is absolutely heartbreaking and horrific,” Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera said. “My deepest condolences go to her family, her friends, and everyone who loved her. No family should ever experience this kind of pain or heartbreak.”
Smith said Bader’s death has been “a lot to cope with,” and described how she thinks about Bader every day.
She said she has seen her in her dreams.
“I know she’s with us but I still can’t believe that it’s true, that it’s real,” Smith said. “I really can’t.”
Mike Dionne, Bader’s father, said, “We just want justice and hope she rests in peace.”
“That’s all I can say right now,” he said.
This developing story has been updated with comments from Crystal Smith and Mike Dionne.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits. Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.