A 33-year-old man has been charged in the killing of his mother and adult sister, who were found dead Friday in the home they all shared in Burke, Va., Fairfax County police said Tuesday.

       Bradley Lister is facing two counts of second-degree murder and gun charges in the slayings of Susan Lister, 67, and Amber Currie, 41. Fairfax County police Lt. Erin Weeks said at a news conference that investigators are still exploring a motive.

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       “Unfortunately, with these type of cases, a lot of time the motive is unknown,” Weeks said. “We are still trying to figure it out ourselves.”

       Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at the news conference that Lister was a twice-convicted felon and was out on pretrial bond in an assault case when the killings occurred. A Fairfax County police spokesman said that the case in which Lister was awaiting trial occurred in the county in 2020, but it was not listed in online court records.

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       The investigation into the killings began after a daughter of Susan Lister’s called police to report that she had not heard from her family members in several days, Weeks said. Officers went to the home in the 6100 block of Eagle Landing Road for a welfare check.

       Weeks said the doors of the home were locked, but officers were able to enter through an unlocked window. The officers found Susan Lister and Currie dead in a bathroom. Weeks said both had been shot at close range in the home.

       In addition, a vehicle was missing from the driveway.

       Weeks said police initially were unable to locate Bradley Lister. Police named him as a person of interest in the case Saturday and eventually traced him to Baltimore, where he and the missing vehicle were found Monday night, Weeks said.

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       Fairfax County police interviewed Bradley Lister at Baltimore police headquarters and developed enough information to charge him in the slayings of his mother and sister, Weeks said. Police said Lister allegedly killed the pair Aug. 17 and fled the area with five or six firearms that have yet to be found. Police are investigating what happened to the weapons.

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       Lister is being held in Baltimore, pending extradition to Fairfax County. His murder case was not yet listed in court records, and it could not be determined whether he had an attorney. Members of the Lister family did not respond to requests for comment.

       In 2017, Bradley Lister pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon while also possessing illegal drugs and driving while intoxicated in Loudoun County, according to court records. He had numerous other charges for driving under the influence and traffic violations in several jurisdictions.

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       There have been 17 slayings in Fairfax County this year, a large increase from the six at this time in 2020. Davis said three of those cases involved males accused of killing their parents or siblings.

       “We are at a unique time, and it seems like these domestic-related crimes have escalated,” Davis said.

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