Suspects in Gwinnett couples slaying linked to alleged beating

A man and his teenage girlfriend are linked to two violent attacks that left the teen’s Gwinnett County grandparents dead and the man’s sister with seven staples in her head.

Cassandra Bjorge, 17, and Johnny Rider, 19, are accused of beating Mindy Rider and her boyfriend less than two hours before they are suspected in the stabbing deaths of Wendy and Randall Bjorge, both 63, police said Monday.

The Bjorges were found dead at their home late Saturday in Lawrenceville.

Soon after, an investigation into their deaths led authorities to a house on McGinnis Ferry Road in Suwanee, where the suspects were found with allegedly self-inflicted stab wounds.

After a SWAT standoff, they were apprehended and taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville.

Rider was booked into the Gwinnett County jail late Monday on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, credit card theft, possession of a tool for the commission of a crime, entering an automobile and theft by taking.

Cassandra Bjorge has not been charged.

Police told Channel 2 Action News they believe Wendy and Randall Bjorge had been dead for days when they were found, possibly for as long as a week.

Authorities said they are still trying to make sense of what led the young couple to allegedly kill the Bjorges and beat two people.

The first incident occurred Saturday night at a home that Johnny Rider, his sister Mindy Rider and mother Tomoko Rider shared in the 1600 block of Rambling Woods Drive.

Johnny Rider was home with his girlfriend, and his sister had just returned from a restaurant with her boyfriend, according to a Gwinnett police incident report.

She noticed her room was torn apart with several items missing, and she confronted her brother, according to the report.

It wasn’t long before the confrontation turned violent.

Johnny Rider allegedly sprayed his sister and her boyfriend, Kevin, with pepper spray.

He then grabbed and began hitting Kevin while yelling for his girlfriend to get a baseball bat, Mindy Rider said in the incident report.

The girlfriend, later identified as Cassandra Bjorge, left and returned with a baseball bat, police said. She then “struck Mindy in the back and head with the bat” repeatedly, police said in the incident report.

Mindy Rider and her boyfriend were eventually able to break free, and Johnny Rider and his girlfriend left the scene.

Tomoko Rider called police about 8:30 p.m. and took her daughter and Kevin to Gwinnett Medical Center, according to the report. They have since been treated and released, police said.

When officers arrived, they found two air rifles and a machete on a dog cage in the rear of the home and removed them.

A warrant was issued for Johnny Rider’s arrest, but no one on the scene when officers arrived could identify his girlfriend.

Bjorge was identified when her grandparents were found slain after about 11 p.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of Furlong Run.

Authorities have told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution that prior to the couple’s death, Bjorge ran away from home repeatedly and relatives out of state had not heard from the grandparents.

Police went to the couple’s home to check on them, but no one answered.

It wasn’t until authorities learned of the incident involving Mindy Rider and a car with links to both the Rider and Bjorge homes that they searched the Bjorge home.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Homicide Unit at 770 513-5300. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 404 577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestoppersatlanta.org.

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