James Dyral Briley

Serial Killer

Profile of Serial Killer James Dyral Briley

Early Life

James Dyral "J.B." Briley Jr. was born on June 6, 1956, in Richmond, Virginia. He was the middle of three brothers, with Linwood Earl Briley being the eldest and Anthony Ray Briley the youngest. The brothers were raised in a stable home by their parents, James Sr. and Bertha Briley, in Richmond's Highland Park neighborhood. Despite their seemingly normal upbringing, the brothers exhibited disturbing behaviors from a young age, including collecting exotic and dangerous pets such as tarantulas, piranhas, and boa constrictors. Their father was reportedly so unnerved by their behavior that he padlocked his bedroom door from the inside at night.

Criminal Activities

The Briley brothers, along with an accomplice named Duncan Meekins, embarked on a seven-month crime spree in 1979 that terrorized Richmond, Virginia. Their crimes were characterized by extreme violence and a lack of discernible pattern, making them particularly terrifying to the community. Below is a detailed list of their known victims:

• March 12, 1979: William and Virginia Bucher were attacked in their home in Henrico County. The Briley brothers tied them up, robbed their house, and set it on fire. Fortunately, the couple managed to escape.
• March 21, 1979: Michael Wayne McDuffie, 20, was shot by the Briley brothers during a robbery.
• March 31, 1979: Edric Alvin Clark, 28, was shot by Linwood Briley over a drug dispute.
• April 9, 1979: Mary Gowen, 76, was followed home, raped, robbed, and shot to death outside her residence.
• July 4, 1979: Christopher Phillips, 17, was suspected of attempting to break into the Brileys' car. The brothers and Meekins dragged him into a backyard, pinned him down, and Linwood crushed his skull with a cinderblock.
• September 14, 1979: John "Johnny G." Gallaher, a disc jockey, was abducted during a break from his performance at a South Richmond nightclub. He was robbed and shot dead by the gang.
• September 30, 1979: Mary Wilfong, 62, was attacked in her home.
• October 5, 1979: Blanche Page, 75, and Charles Garner, 59, were brutally murdered in their home, located just two blocks from the Briley residence. Page was bludgeoned to death, and Garner was fatally assaulted with various weapons, including a baseball bat, knives, scissors, and a fork, which were left embedded in his back.
• October 19, 1979: The Briley brothers' final victims were the Wilkerson family: Harvey Wilkerson, 27; his partner Judy Diane Barton, 23 (who was eight months pregnant); and their 5-year-old son, Harvey Wayne Barton. The family was held captive in their home, where Judy was raped before all three were shot dead.

Arrest and Conviction

The Briley brothers were arrested on October 19, 1979, shortly after the murder of the Wilkerson family. Their accomplice, Duncan Meekins, agreed to testify against them in exchange for a plea deal, leading to their convictions. James and Linwood Briley received multiple death sentences, while Anthony Briley was sentenced to life in prison. James was executed by electrocution on April 18, 1985, following his brother Linwood's execution on October 12, 1984. The Briley brothers' crime spree remains one of the most notorious in Virginia's history, marked by its brutality and the randomness of the attacks. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (10)

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

    ...View 9 additional victims
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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