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Police say two Snohomish County torture killings are connected

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Police say two Snohomish County torture killings are connected.

The families of both victims were in court when the alleged killers faced a judge for the first time.

Anthony Hernandez Cano, 18, and Hassani Hamadi Hassani, 20, both made their first court appearances on Monday.

Court documents show the two are friends and neighbors at Vantage Apartments off Mukilteo Speedway.

Hernandez Cano is accused of torturing and killing Mohamed Adan, 21, whose body was found dumped at Blue Stilly Park near Arlington  on July 1.

Two days later, police found the body of Ezekiel Kelly, 22, whose body was found in Mukilteo off Beverly Park Road and Pacific Place.

“This is a capital case,” said Snohomish County prosecutor Adam Cornell.

Cornell requested both men be held without bail.

"This was a premeditated and coordinated murder of two innocent men who were likely tortured before they were killed," Cornell added.

Court documents show Hernandez Cano was upset because he believed Adan had spied on his girlfriend, Lendsay Meza.

Officials said Adan was beaten with a bat, bound with electrical cord at the Vantage Apartments and burned with a cigarette. Then he was taken to Arlington where he was beaten again and then shot several times.

Hernandez Cano reportedly was going to leave him but then came back and confessed to investigators saying "I killed him. I wanted him to suffer."

Hernandez Cano is also accused of beating Kelly because he suspected him of "snitching" on him.

Kelly’s autopsy showed he'd been stabbed 27 times with a knife, stabbed multiple times with a bladed screwdriver and shot.

Court documents show "Hernandez Cano handed Hassani his pistol and told him to finish it."

Hassani confessed to shooting Kelly three times in the head "because he wanted to be tough like Hernandez Cano."

Friends and family of the victims didn't want to talk with KIRO 7.

Lendsay Meza was also arrested in connection with the killings. She should have her first court appearance tomorrow.