James Dyral Briley

Serial Killer

James Dyral Briley: The Richmond Killing Spree

Background

James Dyral Briley Jr., commonly known as "J.B.," was born on June 6, 1956, in Richmond, Virginia. He became one of the central figures in the group commonly known as the Briley Brothers, which included his older brother Linwood Earl Briley and younger brother Anthony Ray Briley. The brothers were frequently accompanied by teenage associate Duncan Eric Meekins. During 1979, members of the group committed a succession of robberies, assaults, sexual assaults, home invasions and murders in Richmond and neighboring Henrico County. James Briley is frequently classified as a serial or spree killer because of his participation in the Briley gang's 1979 series of killings. It is important, however, to distinguish between murders associated with the entire group and murders for which James was personally convicted as the killer. Virginia courts conclusively established that James personally shot and killed Judy Diane Barton and her five-year-old son, Harvey Wayne Barton, on October 19, 1979. He was also convicted of first-degree murder for his participation in the killing of Harvey W. Wilkerson, who was shot by Duncan Meekins during the same attack.

The Briley Gang and the 1979 Crime Spree

The violence associated with the Briley group developed into one of the most notorious crime sprees in Richmond history. The victims were not connected by occupation, age or social background. Some were apparently selected during robberies, while others encountered members of the group under circumstances that escalated into murder. Prosecutors ultimately connected the Briley brothers and Meekins to a series of killings extending from March through October 1979. An early indication of the group's methods came on March 12, 1979, during an attack on William and Virginia Bucher in Henrico County. The couple were tied up while their home was robbed and then set on fire. William Bucher managed to free himself and Virginia, allowing both to escape. Although the Buchers survived and therefore are not included among the murder victims, the attack demonstrated the willingness of members of the group to leave victims in circumstances that could easily have resulted in their deaths. ...

Confirmed Victims: (11)

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

Suspected Victims:

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

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

Briley Brothers - Wikipedia