Anthony Ray Briley and the Briley Brothers Murder Spree
Anthony Ray Briley
Anthony Ray Briley, born February 17, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia, was the youngest of the three Briley brothers who became notorious for a succession of robberies, home invasions, assaults, rapes and murders in the Richmond area during 1979. Anthony operated primarily with his older brothers Linwood Earl Briley and James Dyral "J.B." Briley Jr., along with teenage accomplice Duncan Eric Meekins. The group became known collectively as the Briley brothers or Briley gang and is generally classified among America's serial or spree murder groups.
Anthony's legal responsibility for the crimes requires an important distinction. Although he participated in a number of attacks and was ultimately convicted of four counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors were unable to prove that Anthony personally fired the fatal shots or delivered the fatal blows in the murders for which he was convicted. His older brothers, particularly Linwood, were more often identified as the principal attackers or actual killers. Anthony nevertheless willingly accompanied the group during robberies and violent crimes, helped control victims, and remained involved while murders were committed.
The Beginning of the 1979 Rampage
The first major attack directly linking Anthony to the 1979 spree occurred on March 12, 1979, at the Henrico County home of William and Virginia Bucher. Linwood approached the residence claiming that he was having automobile trouble and needed to use a telephone. Once inside, he produced a weapon and allowed Anthony and the others to enter.
The Buchers were restrained while their home was searched and robbed. Before leaving, the attackers spread a flammable liquid through the residence and set the house on fire, apparently intending to leave the bound couple to die in the flames. William Bucher succeeded in freeing himself and Virginia, and both escaped before the house was consumed. Their survival made the Bucher attack an important early example of the willingness of Anthony and his companions to use potentially lethal violence even when robbery was the initial purpose of a crime.
Michael McDuffie
On March 21, 1979, 20-year-old Michael Wayne McDuffie, a vending-machine serviceman, became one of the first known murder victims associated directly with Anthony's participation. McDuffie was abducted and robbed in the Richmond-area suburbs. Anthony was identified as participating with Linwood in the crime. After the robbery, Linwood shot McDuffie to death. McDuffie's body was left in his automobile.
The McDuffie murder demonstrated the pattern that would characterize much of the group's violence: a victim was selected for financial gain, overpowered, robbed and then killed or placed in circumstances in which death was intended. Anthony was not identified as the gunman in McDuffie's death, but his participation in the abduction and robbery placed him directly in the criminal episode that ended in murder.
Mary Gowen
On April 9, 1979, 76-year-old Mary W. Gowen was attacked after returning from a babysitting job in Richmond. Members of the group followed her, robbed her and forced their way into the circumstances surrounding her final moments. Gowen was assaulted, raped and fatally shot. Linwood was identified as the man who raped and shot her, while Anthony was reported as being present during the attack.
Gowen's murder illustrated the indiscriminate nature of the group's choice of victims. Age offered no protection, and there was frequently little connection between the Brileys and the people they targeted. Victims could be selected because they appeared vulnerable, possessed property that could be stolen, or simply happened to cross the group's path.
Christopher Phillips
Seventeen-year-old Christopher M. Phillips was killed in Richmond on July 4, 1979. Phillips had been seen around Linwood Briley's automobile, and the group apparently believed that he had attempted to break into it. Anthony, Linwood and Meekins were associated with the assault on the teenager.
Phillips was dragged into a nearby yard and beaten. When he cried for help, Linwood delivered the fatal attack by striking or crushing Phillips' head with a heavy piece of concrete or masonry. Anthony was not identified as the person who delivered the fatal blow, but he participated in the confrontation that preceded the killing.
John Harvey "Johnny G." Gallaher
On September 14, 1979, 62-year-old John Harvey Gallaher, a Richmond-area disc jockey and musician popularly known as "Johnny G.," was performing at the Log Cabin nightclub in South Richmond. Gallaher stepped outside during a break and encountered the Briley group. He was attacked, forced into his own automobile and abducted.
The group drove Gallaher to the Mayo Island area of the James River. He was robbed of a small amount of money and personal property before Linwood shot him in the head. Gallaher's body was dumped near the river and discovered two days later. A distinctive ring stolen from Gallaher later became an important piece of evidence when it was observed in Linwood's possession.
Anthony participated in the abduction and robbery that resulted in Gallaher's murder. Although Linwood was identified as the triggerman and received a death sentence for the killing, Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder for his role and received a life sentence in connection with the crime.
Mary Wilfong
Private-duty nurse Mary S. Wilfong, 62, was followed to her residence in the Richmond-Henrico area late on September 30, 1979. She was confronted near the entrance to her home and brutally struck in the head with a baseball bat. Linwood was identified as the principal attacker, while Anthony and other members of the group were present during the robbery.
Wilfong was discovered critically injured near the entrance to the residence, reportedly still holding her keys. She was transported for medical treatment but died from the severe head injury. A contemporary chronology records her death on October 1, 1979, following the late-night September 30 attack. Her home was also burglarized and valuables were taken.
The Final Barton Avenue Murders
The crimes that most directly determined Anthony Briley's eventual murder convictions occurred on October 19, 1979, at a residence in the 2300 block of Barton Avenue in Richmond. Harvey Wilkerson lived there with his common-law wife, Judy Diane Barton, and Barton's five-year-old son, Harvey Wayne Barton. Judy was pregnant at the time.
Linwood, James, Anthony and Duncan Meekins entered the home and overpowered the adults. Wilkerson and Barton were restrained and the residence was searched for property. Judy Barton was sexually assaulted during the invasion. The attackers eventually decided to eliminate the occupants as witnesses.
Meekins was identified as the man who shot Harvey Wilkerson. James Briley shot Judy Barton and her five-year-old son, Harvey Wayne Barton. Anthony was present and participated in the home invasion and robbery, although prosecutors did not establish that he personally fired any of the fatal shots. Under Virginia law, his participation in the crimes nevertheless resulted in first-degree murder convictions for the three deaths.
The bodies remained inside the Barton Avenue residence until they were discovered several days later. The triple homicide intensified the investigation already surrounding the Briley brothers and quickly led authorities toward the group.
Victims Directly Connected to Crimes Involving Anthony Briley
- Michael Wayne McDuffie, 20 — March 21, 1979 — Henrico County, Virginia. McDuffie was abducted and robbed by Linwood and Anthony Briley. Linwood fatally shot him. Anthony participated in the abduction and robbery.
- Mary W. Gowen, 76 — April 9, 1979 — Richmond, Virginia. Gowen was robbed, sexually assaulted and fatally shot. Linwood was identified as the gunman; Anthony was reported present during the attack.
- Christopher M. Phillips, 17 — July 4, 1979 — Richmond, Virginia. Phillips was attacked after being accused of interfering with Linwood's automobile. Anthony participated in the confrontation; Linwood delivered the fatal blow with a heavy piece of concrete.
- John Harvey "Johnny G." Gallaher, 62 — September 14, 1979 — abducted in South Richmond and killed near Mayo Island on the James River, Richmond, Virginia. Gallaher was abducted, robbed and shot by Linwood while Anthony and the other members of the group participated in the crime. Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder for his role.
- Mary S. Wilfong, 62 — October 1, 1979, following an attack late September 30 — Henrico County near Richmond, Virginia. Wilfong was beaten with a baseball bat during a robbery. Linwood inflicted the fatal injuries while Anthony was identified as being present.
- Harvey Wilkerson, 26 — October 19, 1979 — 2300 block of Barton Avenue, Richmond, Virginia. Wilkerson was restrained during the home invasion and fatally shot by Duncan Meekins. Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder for his participation in the crime.
- Judy Diane Barton, 23 — October 19, 1979 — 2300 block of Barton Avenue, Richmond, Virginia. Barton, who was pregnant, was restrained and sexually assaulted before James Briley fatally shot her. Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the attack.
- Harvey Wayne Barton, 5 — October 19, 1979 — 2300 block of Barton Avenue, Richmond, Virginia. The five-year-old was fatally shot by James Briley during the same home invasion. Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder for his participation.
Other Victims of the Briley Group
Several additional murders were associated with members of the Briley group during the same period, although available accounts do not establish Anthony's participation in those killings as clearly as they do in the crimes listed above. They remain important to understanding the wider series of murders surrounding Anthony and his brothers.
- Edric Alvin Clark, 28 — March 31, 1979 — Richmond, Virginia. Clark was shot and killed during a drug-related dispute. Linwood Briley was identified as the gunman, with Duncan Meekins connected to the incident. Anthony's participation is not clearly established in the available accounts.
- Blanche I. Page, approximately 75 — October 6, 1979 — 3100 block of Fifth Avenue, Richmond, Virginia. Page was found beaten to death in her home. Some later summaries give October 5 for the killings, while detailed Richmond-area chronologies place them on October 6.
- Charles W. Garner, 59 — October 6, 1979 — 3100 block of Fifth Avenue, Richmond, Virginia. Garner, a boarder in Page's home, was beaten and subjected to multiple additional wounds during the attack. His murder occurred during the same crime as Page's death. Anthony's specific role in the double homicide is not as clearly documented as his participation in other attacks.
- Thomas E. Saunders, 32 — October 14, 1979 — Richmond, Virginia. Saunders was shot during a confrontation involving Linwood Briley, James Briley and Duncan Meekins. Meekins was identified as the gunman. Anthony is not consistently identified as a participant in this killing.
Arrests and the Case Against the Brileys
On October 22, 1979, only days after the Barton Avenue murders, authorities arrested Linwood, James and Anthony Briley along with Duncan Meekins. Investigators had been examining a seemingly disconnected collection of robberies and homicides throughout Richmond and Henrico County. Meekins ultimately agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and provided extensive information describing crimes committed by the group.
Meekins' testimony was crucial because many of the attacks had initially appeared unrelated. His descriptions connected individual crimes to the Brileys and provided investigators with details that could be compared with physical evidence, stolen property, witness accounts and information from the crime scenes.
Anthony Briley's Convictions
Anthony was ultimately convicted of four counts of first-degree murder along with robbery and firearm offenses. Three of the murder convictions arose from the October 19 Barton Avenue deaths of Harvey Wilkerson, Judy Barton and Harvey Wayne Barton. His remaining murder conviction was associated with the abduction and killing of John Harvey Gallaher.
Anthony's punishment differed dramatically from those imposed upon Linwood and James. Virginia's capital-murder law at the time generally required proof that a defendant had personally committed the killing before the death penalty could be imposed. Prosecutors could prove Anthony's participation in murders, robberies and related felonies, but they could not prove that he personally killed any of the victims.
As a result, Anthony avoided the death penalty. Contemporary reports state that he accumulated a sentence of life imprisonment plus 139 years for his part in four killings, robbery and related offenses. He remained eligible for parole under the laws applicable to his convictions.
The Fate of the Briley Brothers
Linwood and James received death sentences for murders in which they were identified as actual killers. Linwood was sentenced to death for the murder of John Gallaher. James received death sentences for killing Judy Barton and five-year-old Harvey Barton. Both were eventually executed in Virginia's electric chair: Linwood on October 12, 1984, and James on April 18, 1985.
Anthony was not involved in the notorious May 31, 1984 escape from death row led by Linwood and James because he was serving his sentence in a different institution. The two older brothers and four other condemned prisoners escaped from Mecklenburg Correctional Center before Linwood and James were recaptured in Pennsylvania several weeks later.
Continued Imprisonment
Anthony Ray Briley has remained imprisoned for the crimes committed during the 1979 rampage. He has received repeated parole reviews but has continued to be denied release. In December 2024, the Virginia Parole Board again declined to grant him release, citing the seriousness of his murder convictions, his history of violence and the circumstances of the offenses.
Legacy of the Richmond Murder Spree
The crimes committed by the Briley brothers and Duncan Meekins left Richmond confronting a series of murders that crossed age, occupation and neighborhood boundaries. Their victims included a teenager, elderly women, working adults, a musician, a pregnant mother and a five-year-old child. Many were selected not because of any personal dispute with the attackers but because they happened to present an opportunity for robbery or violence.
Anthony Ray Briley occupied a different position within the group from Linwood and James because authorities were unable to prove that he personally killed a victim. That distinction saved him from the death penalty, but it did not absolve him of responsibility. Juries found that he knowingly participated in violent criminal enterprises in which victims were abducted, robbed and murdered. His four first-degree murder convictions reflected that legal responsibility and ensured that, while his older brothers eventually went to the electric chair, Anthony would spend decades imprisoned for his part in one of Richmond's most notorious periods of violent crime.
