After Double Murder-Suicide In Franklin, Belmont Felon Faces Federal Firearm Charges

CONCORD, NH — A double murder and suicide in Franklin has taken a bizarre twist as investigators connect a rifle found at the scene to a felon who was not legally able to purchase the firearm and hear a claim that the gunman was distraught after finding out the girl he killed may not have actually been his daughter.

On June 3, Nicole Hughes, 35, and Ariella Bell, 18 months, were shot and killed on Elkins Street in Franklin by Jamie Bell. One other child, a 5-year-old girl, was also shot during the incident but survived. Bell later took his life not far from his home on the banks of a nearby river.

As part of the post-murder-suicide investigation, federal officials began looking into a rifle recovered by Franklin police at the scene — a Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ), model Scorpion EVO 3 S2, 9x19mm short-barreled rifle, with an attached armbrace. The gun was found outside the home, in the backyard, about five feet from a rear door.

A special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began to trace the history of the rifle, which was sold as a pistol, at Riley’s Sport Shop in Hooksett in April 2019 to a man from Moultonborough. About three years and three months later, the CZ was sold to Abe’s Awesome Armament in New Hampton. Abe’s sold the gun to a former employee a few months later in September 2022. A month later, the former employee sold it to a man in Bristol. That man then sold it on Snapchat on Jan. 1 to a man name “Justin Geebo,” according to a court affidavit.

The man was interviewed by the agent and Bristol police on Wednesday and given eight DMV photos to look at and picked Justin Gebo, 28, of Belmont, a known felon in New Hampshire with an extensive criminal history, out of the array. The man said he had known Gebo since the summer of 2021 due to mutual acquaintances and a mechanic business he ran in the central part of the state. Gebo, he said, owned an Indian motorcycle and Subaru, something confirmed later by Franklin police, and he had worked on the vehicles. The man said Gebo and another man, who he called his brother, were with him during the transaction — $1,000 cash, for the CZ, case, and two magazines, one of which was loaded, the report said.

The agent acquired evidence from the man’s Snapchat account. After the interview, the man messaged Gebo over Snapchat asking what had happened to the gun, but he never returned a reply, the report stated. The agent noted Gebo appeared to have seen the message.

The agent learned Gebo was a felon due to a reckless conduct-deadly weapon conviction from July 2022, for driving his motorcycle at 70 mph in a 30 mph while possessing drugs. On Jan. 5, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for four years, with two years probation after that. Gebo was previously arrested on rioting, disorderly conduct, obstruction government administration, and resisting arrest. His prior drug issues date back to August 2016 and include two misdemeanor drug possession charges, transporting drugs in a motor vehicle count, and 11 admissions to probation of drug usage, the report said. Gebo was also arrested on a felon in possession of a weapon charge, a 17 Design and Manufacturing, model 17DM-15 AR-type rifle, on Feb. 3 in Laconia after being pulled over for a loud exhaust, excessive tint, and rear passenger license plate light being out, a report said. The gun, the report said, was “in plan view.” That charge is still active, according to court records.

The agent noted the 17 DM was not manufactured in New Hampshire, meaning its purchase had to have been an interstate commerce transaction.

Also on Wednesday, the ATF agent learned that two other agents met with Gebo and his probation officer on April 18 concerning the purchase of a forced reset trigger, classified as a machinegun part, from Wide Open Enterprises. Gebo, the report said, installed it to an unknown AR-type rifle with a .300 blackout caliber and sold it to an unknown individual, the report said. The ATF then gave him a warning letter.

Later that day, Gebo met with his probation officer and was accused of admitting to using methamphetamine repeatedly that week due to being upset about the double-murder, suicide. He also reported a Boscawen police contact at the same time the manhunt was going on, the report said. The agent confirmed the contact on South Main Street via the Franklin police dispatch log — about 2,000 feet from the shooting scene.

Gebo said he had known Bell since they were kids and even had his name tattooed on his arm, the agent wrote.

“Gebo advised (the probation officer) that Bell was using methamphetamines and anabolic steroids and that Bell was paranoid,” the report said. “Gebo advised also that Bell believed the now-deceased 18- month-old victim of the homicide, was not actually Bell’s biological daughter, as Bell had been led to believe.”

A warrant was issued for Gebo’s arrest on Thursday.

Gebo, who had a court appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday, was charged with being in possession of a firearm while under indictment, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and being a user of illegal drugs in possession of a firearm.

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