In the spring of 1979, the city of Richmond, Virginia, was in the grip of a terrifying crime wave orchestrated by the Briley brothers. On the last day of March, this wave of violence claimed the life of 27-year-old Edric Alvin Clarke. His death on March 31, 1979, was not a random act but a calculated murder stemming from a drug dispute.
Edric's life was cut short when he was shot and killed by Linwood Briley, one of the three infamous brothers who, along with an accomplice, terrorized
the Richmond area for seven months. The murder was just one in a series of brutal crimes that included multiple murders, rapes, and robberies committed by Linwood, James, and Anthony Briley.
The reign of terror of the Briley brothers came to an end with their eventual capture. The investigation into their extensive and violent crimes led to their arrests. Linwood and James Briley were ultimately sentenced to death for their roles in the murder spree. Linwood was executed by electric chair on October 12, 1984, and his brother James met the same fate on April 18, 1985. The third brother, Anthony Briley, received a life sentence, and their accomplice, Duncan Eric Meekins, was also incarcerated.
