Anthony Ray Briley

Serial Killer

Anthony Ray Briley: The Youngest of Richmond's Infamous Briley Brothers

Early Life

Anthony Ray Briley, born on February 17, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia, was the youngest of the notorious Briley brothers. Alongside his older siblings, Linwood Earl Briley and James Dyral "J.B." Briley Jr., Anthony was raised in a seemingly stable household. Despite their helpful demeanor towards neighbors, the brothers harbored a dark fascination with exotic and dangerous pets, including tarantulas, piranhas, and boa constrictors. This unsettling interest hinted at the violent tendencies that would later manifest in their criminal activities. 

The 1979 Crime Spree

In 1979, the Briley brothers, with the assistance of accomplice Duncan Meekins, embarked on a seven-month crime spree that terrorized Richmond and its surrounding areas. Their crimes were marked by extreme violence, including robbery, rape, and murder. While Anthony's involvement was less pronounced than that of his brothers, he participated in several of the heinous acts committed during this period. 

Detailed List of Victims

• March 12, 1979: **William and Virginia Bucher** – The couple was attacked in their Henrico County home. They were tied up, and their house was set on fire. Miraculously, they managed to escape and survive.
• March 21, 1979: **Michael Wayne McDuffie**, 20 – A vending machine serviceman, McDuffie was assaulted and shot dead in his suburban home.
• April 9, 1979: **Mary Gowen**, 76 – After being followed home from her babysitting job, Gowen was raped, robbed, and shot to death outside her residence.
• July 4, 1979: **Christopher Phillips**, 17 – Suspected of attempting to steal from the Brileys, Phillips was dragged into a backyard, pinned down, and killed when Linwood Briley dropped a cinderblock on his skull.
• September 14, 1979: **John "Johnny G." Gallaher**, 62 – A disc jockey, Gallaher was abducted during a break outside a South Richmond nightclub. He was driven to Mayo Island, shot at point-blank range, and his body was dumped into the James River.
• September 30, 1979: **Mary Wilfong**, 62 – Followed home to her Richmond apartment, Wilfong was attacked just outside her door. Linwood Briley crushed her skull with a baseball bat before the group looted her apartment.
• October 5, 1979: **Blanche Page**, 79, and **Charles Garner**, 59 – In a brutal attack just two blocks from the Briley home, Page was bludgeoned to death, and Garner was fatally assaulted with various weapons, including a baseball bat, knives, scissors, and a fork.
• October 19, 1979: **Harvey Wilkerson**, 27; **Judy Diane Barton**, 23 (five months pregnant); and **Harvey Wayne Barton**, 5 – Longtime acquaintances of the Brileys, the Wilkerson family was bound and gagged in their home. Judy Barton was raped before all three victims were shot to death.

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Confirmed Victims: (10)

Michael McDuffie Age: (20), Date of Death: 1979-03-21

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Suspected Victims:

William Bucher , Date of Death: 1979-03-12

Virginia Bucher , Date of Death: 1979-03-12

Briley Brothers - Wikipedia

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