Did former MLB draft Charles Haeger murder his ex?
Former MLB pitcher Charles Haeger, a suspect in the murder of ex-girlfriend Danielle Breed, was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound in the Grand Canyon on October 3rd. After a dramatic escape from Scottsdale police, Haeger’s whereabouts are still unclear, but the case against him seems to grow stronger with a suspicious past as revealed by Breed’s mother.
The investigation is still ongoing, but here’s what we know so far about Charles Haeger and the murder of Danielle Breed.
Haeger’s MLB past & relationship with Breed
Haeger was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2001 as one of the few knuckleball pitchers in the MLB. He finally debuted in the Major League in 2006 after pitching in the minors. He pitched for multiple teams including the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners. He mostly pitched for the teams’ AAA teams before ending his career in 2010.
In recent years, Haeger worked in baseball, but he shifted to coaching minor league players. Danielle Breed, meanwhile, owned the Tipsy Coyote Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona. We don’t know where Haeger & Breed met or when they began their relationship. According to Pheonix’s Fox 10 reporter Justin Lum, Breed broke up with Haeger “months ago”.
Murder suspect
Haeger’s ex-girlfriend Danielle Breed, who, according to CNN, preferred to go by her mother’s maiden name, Long, was murdered in her house in Scottsdale on October 2nd. According to the police’s timeline, Breed’s roommate arrived at their house to hear multiple gunshots coming from Breed’s room.
Upon investigation of the noise, the roommate saw Haeger with a gun. Haeger pointed the gun at the roommate, who was ultimately able to escape out the back of the house. The roommate went to a neighbor’s house and called 911.
Police arrived just before 7 p.m. They called Scottsdale Police’s S.W.A.T. team as a response to an armed suspect. While they secured & barricaded the house, Haeger managed to get away before they could apprehend him. Police warned the public late Friday evening, calling him “armed & dangerous” per Fox 10.
Haeger found dead
After a night of searching, Scottsdale Police found Haeger’s abandoned minivan near Flagstaff, Arizona. On the morning of October 3rd, they found it 118 miles north of Scottsdale, according to The Detroit News. Police say he abandoned his car at around 8 p.m.
Haeger’s last known whereabouts were at El Tovar Hotel, where he made a purchase just before 2 p.m. The hotel is located near the Grand Canyon. At 4 p.m. police found Haeger’s body on the Rim Trail on the south side of the Grand Canyon. He was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Suspicious behavior & ongoing investigation
Jane Long told Fox 10 Haeger had been cyberstalking her daughter, repeatedly asking to get back together. According to her mother, Breed consistently rejected Haeger and wanted to get a restraining order against him. However, family members told Fox 10 they “never imagined Haeger as an accused killer”.
Scottsdale police didn’t confirm a motive, but tweeted it was a “domestic violence situation”. As a result, the investigation is still ongoing as of Sunday, October 4th, according to CNN.
Haeger is still considered a suspect in Breed’s murder, and the case against him appears strong. Other than Haeger’s motive, one question police are still investigating is discovering how Haeger was able to abandon his car in Flagstaff and still manage to get to the Grand Canyon, which is over eighty miles away.
GoFundMe page
Since her death, Breed’s family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral expenses. The fundraiser was set at a goal of $20,000 but managed to raise over $25,000 in just one day.
