In a quiet home in Henrico, Virginia, a suburb of Richmond, the lives of Henry Joseph Brissette III and his wife, Martha, came to a tragic end on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. Henry, a 59-year-old male, was found shot to death inside his residence alongside his 56-year-old wife. The couple was discovered after their son, William Roy Brissette, who was 22 at the time and lived with his parents, placed a call to the police to report a break-in at the family home.
However, upon investigation, the evidence at the scene did not align with his account.
The investigation quickly shifted focus to William, who was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Authorities reported that the evidence suggested he was responsible for the deaths of his parents. The initial charges were later upgraded to two counts of capital murder, and the Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney announced the intention to seek the death penalty, citing the 'vileness' of the alleged crimes. William Brissette was held without bail at the Henrico County Jail.
The legal proceedings that followed took a different direction due to William's mental health. Court-ordered psychological evaluations revealed a history of mental health issues. In April 2017, a judge found William incompetent to stand trial after a psychological evaluation concluded that he suffered from schizoaffective disorder. Consequently, he was ordered to be sent to Central State Hospital for treatment with the goal of restoring his competency.
Despite treatment, by January 2021, a Circuit Court judge declared William 'unrestorably incompetent' to stand trial. Attorneys and doctors involved in the case agreed that it was unlikely he would ever be able to stand trial for the deaths of his parents. He was to continue receiving treatment at the state hospital, with his case remaining under the court's review. The tragic event left the couple's daughter, Madeline, to navigate the profound loss of her parents and the complexities of her brother's legal situation, prompting her to seek community support for the unexpected financial burdens.
