Dec. 2, 2025

Chapter 123: Missing from MacKay Court-The Murder of Brianna Denison

Chapter 123: Missing from MacKay Court-The Murder of Brianna Denison
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When 19-year-old Brianna Denison vanished from her friend's home in the early hours of January 20, 2008, the city of Reno, Nevada was on high alert, rallying to help find her and bring her home. As police worked with minimal evidence to find Brianna's abductor, they followed the DNA trail to the University of Nevada, Reno Campus, uncovering a predator who had been targeting students for months. 

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ABC News. (2008a, January 22). FBI joins search for “Abducted” teen. https://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=4172264&page=2ABC News. (2008b, February 19). Body found in Reno is missing student. https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4301456&page=1Being Brianna’s Brother. (2018, January 28). Reno Gazette Journal, 7A.Bellisle, M. (2009, January 9). Four aggravating conditions cited for capital punishment. Reno Gazette Journal, 1A-7A.Bellisle, M., & Mullen, F. X., Jr. (2008, November 27). Biela had trouble with women, law. RGJ. https://ceadstorage.blob.core.windows.net/cead-images/NewsReportreBiela.pdfBiela gets life prison on top of death row. (2010, July 31). Nevada Appeal. https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2010/jul/31/biela-gets-life-prison-on-top-of-death-row/Biela v. State, 381 P.3d 594 | Nev., Judgment, Law, casemine.com. (n.d.). https://www.casemine.com. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5975bc9eadd7b04349680535Crime Desk. (2025, July 11). Stolen in the Night: The Brianna Denison murder that changed Nevada forever. Medium. https://medium.com/@crimedesk/stolen-in-the-night-the-brianna-denison-murder-that-changed-nevada-forever-96c89c54a49bFort Bragg Advocate-News. (2018, August 23). Brianna Denison: Former Mendocino youth missing. Fort Bragg Advocate-News. https://www.advocate-news.com/2008/01/24/brianna-denison-former-mendocino-youth-missing/IrishExaminer.com. (2020, May 19). US serial rapist sentenced to death. Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-30460203.htmlJames Biela petitions court for retrial in rape, murder of 19-year-old Brianna Denison. (2016, July 12). KRXI. https://foxreno.com/news/local/james-biela-returns-to-court-for-rape-and-murder-of-19-year-old-reno-womanJournal, M. B. R. G. (2018, January 26). From May 2010: Testimony details discovery of body, Brianna Denison death. Reno Gazette Journal. https://www.rgj.com/story/news/crime/2018/01/26/may-2010-testimony-details-discovery-body-brianna-denison-death/1067359001/Jul 28, 2008, page 4 - Reno Gazette-Journal at Newspapers.com<sup>TM. (n.d.). Newspapers.com. <span class=&qout;url&qout;>https://www.newspapers.com/image/149445981/?match=1&terms=brianna%20denisonKing, G. C. (n.d.). The murder of Brianna Denison — snatched in the Dead of Night — Crime Library. https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/brianna_denison/1.htmlKrikorian, T. (2008, March 29). Family invites communty to mark Denison birthday. Reno Gazette Journal, 1A-8A.McCandrew, S. (2008, November 28). Blue ribbons selling out at local stores. Reno Gazette Journal, 3A.Miller, C. (2010, June 3). BRIaNna Denison’s killer, James Biela, gets death; mom says “He messed with the wrong family.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brianna-denisons-killer-james-biela-gets-death-mom-says-he-messed-with-the-wrong-family/Nov 27, 2008, page 5 - Reno Gazette-Journal at Newspapers.com<sup>TM. (n.d.). Newspapers.com. <span class=&qout;url&qout;>https://www.newspapers.com/image/149622758/?match=1&terms=brianna%20denisonO’Malley, J. (2008a, February 22). Police: Suspect not a serial killer, yet. Reno Gazette Journal, 3A.O’Malley, J. (2008b, November 26). Police: DNA links Denison murder suspect to crimes. RGJ. https://archive.ph/20130201071613/http://www.rgj.com/article/20081126/NEWS18/81126016O’Malley, J. (2008c, November 28). Family calls tipster “incredibly brave.” Reno Gazette Journal, 4A.O’Malley, J. (2008d, November 28). Family to fight for tougher laws. Reno Gazette Journal, 3A.Oram, C. (2019a). Order of affirmance. In SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdfOram, C. (2019b). Petition for Writ of Certiorari - James Biela v. The State of Nevada. In Supreme Court of the United States. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123312032_Cert%20Petition.pdfORAM, C. R., NOBLE, J. P., & Washoe County District Attorney. (2019). RESPONDENT’S BRIEF IN OPPOSITION. In SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES [Legal brief]. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/121720/20191107121019017_BIELA_BRIEF%20IN%20OPP_PET%20CERTIORARI.pdfProducer, B. R. M. N. G. (n.d.). Tip line played key role in cracking cold case - CNN.com. https://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/02/cold.case.arrest/index.htmlReports, W. (2008, February 23). Former Mendocino resident remembered at candlelight vigil. The Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2008/02/23/former-mendocino-resident-remembered-at-candlelight-vigil/Search - Supreme Court of the United States. (n.d.). https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-6204.htmlStaff. (2017, March 1). Suspect in Denison slaying fit the profile. Las Vegas Review-Journal. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/suspect-in-denison-slaying-fit-the-profile/The Reno Gazette Journal & Lyon County News Leader. (2008, February 21). Brianna Denison Obituary. Legacy. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/rgj/name/brianna-denison-obituary?id=27318198

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Stay safe, stay curious, and stay vigilant.

WEBVTT

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Every story has a beginning, but not everyone has an ending.

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In the shadows of headlines and buried police reports lay

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the voices of the missing, the murdered, and the forgotten,

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waiting to be heard and have their stories told. This

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is The Book of the Dead, a true crime podcast

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where we remember forgotten victims of heinous crimes, reopen cold cases,

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re visit haunting disappearances, and uncover the truths buried beneath

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the years of silence. I'm your host, Courtney Liso, and

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every week we turn to another chapter, one victim, one mystery,

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one step closer to justice. Brought to you by Darkast

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Network INDEP Podcasts with the Twist. Hello, Hello, Welcome to

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the next chapter in the Book of the Dead. On

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a freezing cold morning in January of two thousand and eight,

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the city of Reno, Nevada would wake up to a

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nightmare when the news broke that a nineteen year old

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woman had vanished in the middle of the night from

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her friend's apartment as she slept on the couch. As

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the community rallied to find her, what started as a

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search for a missing person quickly transformed into a race

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to find a predator. As the disappearance seemed to have

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disturbing links to attacks on other young women in the area.

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As the months passed, the break in the case the

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police desperately needed would come after a phone call for

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miles away. This is the murder of Brianna Dennis. Brianna

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Denison was born in Rino, Nevada, on March twenty ninth,

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nineteen eighty eight, to Jeff and Bridget Denison. She was

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the oldest of two children. Her little brother, Brighton, was

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born four years later, and according to the Press Democrat,

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she was described as spiritual, respectful, and she adored her family.

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As a child, Bridget gave Brianna the nickname Breezy because

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she reminded her of a breath of fresh air on

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a cool summer day. When Brianna was six years old,

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tragedy struck the Denison family when Jeff suddenly died, and

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Bridget would move the children to her hometown of Mendocino

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in California to be closer to other family members. After

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the death of her father, Brianna became even closer to

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her mother, confiding in her about everything, and Bridget enrolled

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her daughter in art therapy to help her cope with

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her father's loss. As Brianna got older, her aunt Lauren,

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said that Brianna was strong willed and feisty, always managing

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to talk her cousins and brother into dressing up in

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girls' clothes for her tea parties. She also grew up

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with a love for traveling and exploring the world, and

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had even spent a year studying in Italy and high

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school and had been to Hawaii, New York, Mexico, Egypt, Japan, France,

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and Hungary, just to name a few. When Brianna was

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around thirteen, the Dennisons moved back to Nevada, where Brianna

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would go on to attend Reno High School. As a

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young teenager, Lauren said that she was always thinking of others,

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worrying about them almost to a fault, and Brianna never

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forgot an anniversary or birthday. She was also incredibly communicative,

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always reaching out to a family to say hi and

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informing her mother about her comings and goings. Brianna graduated

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high school in two thousand and six, and for the

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next year or so she really wasn't sure what she

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wanted to do with her life. She worked for a

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time before California called her back, and she enrolled in

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Santa Barbara City College to pursue child psychology, determined to

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help children as she had been helped processing her grief

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so many years before. In California, Brianna thrived. She loved

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being near the beach, and she was doing incredibly well

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in school. She was making plenty of friends and even

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started dating a boy from Oregon. While she was away, though,

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she was in constant contact with Bridget, texting and calling

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to tell her mom all about her days and her studies,

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staying just as close with her mom as she was

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when she was a child, much to Bridget's relief. She

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worried terribly about her daughter, and the open communication they

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had brought her an immense source of peace. Brianna stayed

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just as close with her brother, Brighton, who was now fifteen.

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Brighton told the Reno Gazett Journal how he would call

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his when he had an issue with their mom, and

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Brianna would give him advice on how to handle the situation.

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In January of two thousand and eight, Santa Barbara College

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broke for winter break, and Brianna headed home to Reno

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to spend time with her family. And see her friends

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who had opted to stay in Nevada for school. This

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break was packed with activities that Brianna planned to attend

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while she was home, most of them associated with the

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Swat seventy two Snowboarding Festival on January nineteenth. This was

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a three day event occurring annually from Saturday through Monday,

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and Brianna had attended the festival the last two years.

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She wrote down an itinerary of all of the events

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she planned to go to and gave it to Bridget

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so that her mother would know where Brianna was going

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to be throughout the night, just in case. On the

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morning of January nineteenth, Brianna spent the day with Bridget.

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They did laundry, when to the movies, and in the evening,

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Brianna started getting ready for a concert she planned to

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attend with her friend, Katie Hunter. Brianna told Bridget that

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she would be spending the night at Katie's house on

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McKay Court, feet away from the University of Nevada's Reno campus,

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where Katie was a student. Brianna met up with her

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friend and Katie's roommate, and the three of them headed

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over to the Sands Regency Casino Hotel to take a

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bus with other college students to the concert before going dancing.

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The girls ended up back of the sands, and at

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around one am, Katie's roommate decided she was tired and

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was going head back to the house on McKay Court.

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Unable to find a taxi, she hitched a ride with

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a man who was willing to take her home. Brianna

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and Katie continued on with their night, ending up at

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Mel's Diner around three am for mazzarella sticks and milkshakes.

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At four am, they caught a ride with a few

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college students and headed back to Katie's rental house, exhausted

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after the long evening. It's important to point out that

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most of the houses on McKay Court were rented to

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students who were attending the University of Name. Because this

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was mostly a college community, with students coming and going

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at all hours for classes or to attend different events

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and parties, the doors and most of the homes were

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typically locked unlocked. When the girls returned to the house,

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Katie gave Brianna a pillow, a couple of blankets, and

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a Teddy Bear to act as a second pillow. Before

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heading to the room she shared with another student and

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her dog. Katie's other roommate, who had returned home hours earlier,

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was already asleep in her bedroom. Brianna changed into a

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tank top and sweatpants before settling in on the couch

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in front of the glass door to the house, which

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remained unlocked. She reportedly sent a text to her boyfriend,

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who was home in Oregon for break at around four

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twenty three AM, before going to sleep. As everyone in

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the house slept, the house was quiet. Katie's dog never

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made a sound responding to any noise in the house,

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and no one was woken up by anything strange. It

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was seemingly a quiet evening on Mackay Court. At nine am,

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Katy woke up and headed into the living room area

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to wake up Brianna, but she wasn't asleep on the couch.

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Confused but figuring Brianna was maybe in another bedroom, she

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knocked on the door but received no answer. Quickly, Katy's

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confusion turned to panic when her roommates confirmed they hadn't

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seen her friend either, and a quick search of the

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living room revealed that Brianna's clothes, purse, and cell phone

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were all still there, but the bear Katie had lent

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her was gone. Katy also found, to her horror, a

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small amount of blood about the size of a silver

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dollar on the pillow left behind on the couch. Additionally,

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one of the blankets Brianna had used was found in

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the kitchen, left near the back door. Katie immediately called

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the police to report Brianna missing, and she called Bridget

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as well. When police arrived at the house on thirteen

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hundred McKay Court, they very quickly realized that this wasn't

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just a missing person's investigation. The clothing, blood evidence, though

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admittedly a small amount, and the fact that the couch

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was in clear view of the unlocked glass door where

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anyone could see her, were all a cause for concern. Additionally,

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due to the clothing being left behind, police determined that

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Brianna would have left the house in which he had

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worn to bed the tank top and sweatpants. Considering that

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in the early hours of January twenty a, two thousand

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and eight, it was reportedly thirty three degrees outside according

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to the Advocate News, the likelihood that Brianna would have

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left a warm house in that weather without proper clothing

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was very slim. Reno Police Lieutenant Robert MacDonald's, head of

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the Robbery homicide unit, and Detective David Jenkins, a thirty

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two year veteran, were called to the home and they

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proceeded with treating the investigation as suspicious based on the

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clear indication that Brianna had not left the house voluntarily.

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Upon their initial walkthrough of the home, police noted that

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most of the windows were uncovered, providing an unobstructed view

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into the house. They also found two additional spots of

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blood on the pillow on the couch, as well as

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mascara traces and a spot of blood on the blanket

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in the kitchen. Each of the blood stains were about

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one to three inches in diameter, and the larger stain

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had saliva mix with it with either mucus or flem

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DNA analysis would later confirm all of the blood belonged

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to Brianna, and forensic pathologists reported that Brianna suffered an

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actively bleeding injury in or near her mouth, throat, or

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nose at a time when her face was being pressed

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hard against the pillow. According to Detective Jenkins. Also found

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in the home was DNA evidence confirmed to belong to

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a male on the doorknob of the rear door. Upon

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speaking with Katie and her roommates, they learn about the

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man that had driven one of them home a few

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hours before. Brienna and Katie and they searched for this

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man in the hopes that he had maybe seen something suspicious.

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According to The Advocate News, police released an alert stating

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that they wanted to quote speak to the driver of

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a Beije or light brown Chevrolet or GMC suburban style suv.

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He is described as a white male, possibly of Latin descent,

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about forty five years of age, of medium stature, and

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well dressed. The vehicle was photographed by security cameras as

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it left the Sans Casino via the Arlington Street driveway. However,

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whether or not this man was ever found or was

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able to provide information if he was, is unknown. Police

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also received a significant piece of information from a neighbor

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who heard something strange between four thirty and five am.

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Daniel Pittman said he was on his computer when he

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saw a shadow passed by his window approaching Katie's home.

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Because his lights were out, the person outside likely assumed

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the inhabitants were sleeping. He told police that he heard

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a noise that quote, sounded like someone tried to push

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on the handle and push the door. Initially, Daniel was

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unconcern by what he heard quote, I used to live

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in a fraternity. I thought it was a drunk kid

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trying to find his way home and had the wrong house.

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As the first couple of days of the investigation passed,

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police knew it was critical that they find Brianna as

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soon as possible to increase the chances of her being

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found alive. As they began their search and news spread

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around Reno of Brianna's disappearance, the community rallied to help

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search for her. Hundreds of volunteers turned up to assist,

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going door to door combing the areas in the vicinity

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of the un R campus and any isolated areas they

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could find. Over the next two days, the police were

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also joined by the ex FBI and the National Center

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for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as calling in

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helicopters and canine units to increase the chances of finding

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Brianna or anything that could point to what happened to her.

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Dahn Gibbons, the wife of Governor John Gibbons, also joined

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the search, saying quote, as a mother of a child

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nearly the same age as Brianna, my heart goes out

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to the entire Dennison family. I continued to be impressed

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by the overwhelming community support and many volunteers dedicated to

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the ongoing search efforts. This tragic case has touched the

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hearts of so many across the state. The community really

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was dedicated to finding Brianna and bringing her home to

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her family. The city blanketed itself in blue ribbons and

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posters saying Bringbree home and supported the family, and billboards

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went up calling for anyone to come forward with information.

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When it was learned that the Washoe County Crime Lab

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was backlogged with over three thousand DNA samples that needed

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to be processed before they could get to the unknown

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DNA found in the McKay courthouse. Due to a lack

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of funding, the community came together and raised over two

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hundred thousand dollars according to the Reno Gazette Journal, to

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fund the testing. Unfortunately, the DNA found was not a

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match to any of the samples in the crime lapse system.

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With police quickly approaching a dead end without a hit

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on the DNA, and with Brianna still missing, they began

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looking at sexual assaults that occurred on or around the

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UNR campus in the weeks leading up to Brianna's disappearance

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that could indicate a potential pattern, and they found one.

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Just over a month before Brianna disappeared, Reno police were

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called to a home on the fourteen hundred block of

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North Virginia Street, which was less than five hundred yards

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from Brienna's abduction site, to take a statement from a

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woman who claimed to have been kidnapped and sexually assaulted

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under some sixteen two thousand seven. According to court records,

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the woman, identified as MC, reported that she had exited

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her car outside of her apartment at approximately two a m.

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When she was attacked and knocked to the ground by

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a strange man. He covered her mouth and nose with

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his hand, obstructing her breathing until she lost consciousness, and

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brought her to a pickup truck nearby. As she came

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to and tried to fight back, he forced her into

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the truck and covered her face with the sweatshirt, driving

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three to four minutes before stopping in a secluded area.

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He warned her that if she saw his face or

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went to the police, he would kill her before raping

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her and then driving her back to her apartment. He

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took her underwear as a trophy and threatened that he

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might come back before letting her leave. Emma was able

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to tell police that her attacker was wearing a red

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shirt with a blue collar, possibly silk or polyester, and

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had a word embroidered on the left breast. He was

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also wearing pants with an elastic waist, and she recalled

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seeing a baby shoe on the floor of the front seat.

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She was also able to provide police with a detailed

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description of the truck she was transported in. Emma told

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police the vehicle was a late model pickup truck with

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an extended cab, grayer black upholstery, a narrow raised center

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console with a hinged lid, and the interior lights were

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located above the rear view mirror. Emma had been examined

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after the attack and evidence was collected in the form

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of DNA and gray fibers that were consistent with the

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carpeting used in an automobile. The DNA was finally processed

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and was determined to be a match to the sample

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found at the Dennison crime scene, Detective Jenkins spoke to

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Emma again and she was able to provide him with

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even more descriptors of her attacker. She said he was

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a white male between twenty and thirty years old, somewhere

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between five nine and six three, with a heavy build

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and brown hair, a mustache, and a goatee. She said

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he spoke clear, fluent English, but was unable to identify

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any accident or particular dialect. Police also visited multiple auto

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shops with the description of the vehicle that Emma had provided,

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and they learned that the pickup was most likely a

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Toyota Tacoma made between two thousand and one and two

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thousand and six, though the vehicle type was narrowed down significantly,

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there were hundreds of cars that matched that description and

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they needed a way to narrow it down further. After

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speaking with Emma, police learned that this was not the

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only attack on a un R student with a similarm

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to Brianna. The month before Emma's attack, on November seventeenth,

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a twenty one year old nursing student identified as Amanda

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Sea in court records, had been attacked at around five

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pm at an apartment on the four hundred block of

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College Drive. Amanda said she had been walking through the

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parking lot when she was attacked from behind and put

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in a chokehold, her assailant dragging her between some cars

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and groping her. Amanda fought back, screaming, and the man fled,

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fearing that passers by would be alerted by the noise,

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dropping a pack of condoms as he ran. Amanda did

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not initially report the attack, but came forward after seeing

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the significant media covered surrounding Briana's disappearance, and was able

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to provide additional information of her attacker that was used

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in combination with Emma's description to create a composite sketch

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of the suspect. Not only were the attacks between the

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women similar, but all of the women were within a

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similar age range, and all three women were peteited with long,

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dark hair. There was also an attack in October of

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two thousand and seven where it was reported that a

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twenty two year old woman had been assaulted at gunpoint

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at a parking garage that police believed was connected to

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Brianna's case, as well as another October assault that police

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did not believe is connected at all and rather a

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poorly thought out prank by a student against another. At

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the news of the attacks and what was clearly escalating behavior,

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the police issued safety protocols for the un our campus.

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Lieutenant MacDonald said of the suspect, quote, he is a

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predator of opportunity. We want women to be cognizant that

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we have someone in the community who is a deviant

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in attacking women. You may not meet the criteria of

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whom he has been targeting, but still take precaution. After

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three weeks of searching and thousands of tips being looked into,

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the search for Brianna Denison came to an end on

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February fifteenth, when Ee Technologies worker Alberto Hamanez saw something

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brightly colored in a snow covered field in South Reno,

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eight miles from the Mackay court House, as he walked

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back to work from his lunch break. He said, according

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to the Reno Gazette Journal, quote, I could see they

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were two bright pieces of fabric, but I couldn't make

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out what they were. As it got closer, I realized

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this pieces of fabric were, in fact socks, bright orange,

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almost neon like socks. They seemed to be attached to

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a pair of feet. As he approached, Alberto saw the

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rest of the body that of a young woman with

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a wound on her right arm. When police arrived, they

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found two pairs of women's underwear underneath her leg. Doctor

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Ellen Clark performed the autopsy and used DNA comparison to

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positively identify the woman as Brianna Denison. Doctor Clark determined

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that Brianna's cause of death with strangulation using a thin cord,

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most likely one of the pairs of underwear found with

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her body. She had also been sexually assaulted, and samples

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were taken from Brianna's body were a match to the

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sample obtained from previous victims, as well as the sample

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taken from the doorknob at the home she was taken from.

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Doctor Clark was unable to determine a time of death,

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but believed that Brienna had been in the field for

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at least a week. Due to the snowfall, she could

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have been hidden from view until the snow had recently

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started to melt. While the news of Brianna's murder was devastating,

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being able to bring her home brought a small sense

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of peace to her family. Her uncle, John Zanino told

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the Reno Gazette Journal, quote, I wanted to break something.

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I believe from the beginning that she was coming back

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to us. I didn't expect this. She did come back

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to us, and I am grateful. I can't imagine carrying

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on with life with this always in the back of

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my mind. Where is bri But she is home with

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us now and her family was adamant that Brianna's killer

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needed to be and would be found. Her aunt Laurence said, quote,

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we are truly madder than hell that some person could

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take someone away from their family, strangle them and throw

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them out like a piece of trash. We've got to

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get this guy. Someone knows him, please come forward. We

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need to find him so he doesn't do this to

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someone else. He could be in our midst. Police announced

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at a press conference that they believed that Brianna's killer

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was absolutely a serial rapist and was likely still in

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the area. He would be familiar with the University of

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Nevada Reno campus, as well as the industrial area of

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Double R Boulevard and Sandhill Road, where Brienna had been

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found either living or working there. Lieutenant MacDonald said it

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was possible that her killer may have moved or changed

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his appearance in some way, and urged community members to

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really look at the men in their lives to see

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if they match the description of the killer, similar vehicle,

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or was behaving oddly around the time at Brianna's abduction.

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They also urged any woman that recognized one of the

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pairs of underwear that had been left with the Brianna's

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body to come forward, hoping that she would have information

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that could be helpful in their investigation. The other pair

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of underwear had been identified as belonging to one of

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Katie's roommates. Brianna was buried next to her father a

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Mountain View cemetery on what would have been her twentieth birthday,

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and community members were invited by her family to come

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honor Brianna with cake and notes to be buried with her.

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At the love shown to her family, Bridget was thankful

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to her friends and neighbors who had unwaveringly supported the investigation,

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continuing to offer their assistance in anything the police or

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Dennison's needed in the hopes Brianna's killer would be found.

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Bridget said, quote, it feels really good. I feel like

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I'm not alone. It really feels like she became Reno's daughter.

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She also praised the Reno Police for their investigative work

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and dedication to solving her daughter's case. Bridget vowed to

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use the loss of her daughter to press for stronger

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laws against repeat offenders and laws that would prioritize funding

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crime labs to process DNA, and she was getting ready

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to take her cast to the local legislator. Detective Jenkins

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said that no matter how long it took, they were

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going to get him, but they believed that the break

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in the case they needed was most likely something small

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and innocuous, a low priority tip. That small, innocuous tip

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that police were hoping for, finally came ten months after

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Brienna's murder. On November one, two thousand and eight, the

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Secret Witness Hotline received a phone call from a woman

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who said her friend had found a pair of women's

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underwear in her boyfriend's truck during their move back from Washington.

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The friend was named Carline Arman, and she said that

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when she confronted her boyfriend, he claimed that he found

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the underwear at a laundromat in Seattle. Her boyfriend's name

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was James Biella. He was a twenty seven year old

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pipefitter who had done work at the University of Nevada

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Reno campus. During the attacks, they had moved in March

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to Spokane, and he had sold his truck, purchasing a

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new one, and he had returned to Nevada sometime in September,

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according to the Reno Gazette Journal, around the same time

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as the attack on Emma and when Brianna was abducted,

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James had become incredibly angry and had left the home

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they shared with their four year old son. He claimed

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he had been sleeping in his car. Police interviewed Biella

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and asked him to provide a DNA sample, which he refused.

416
00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:55.480
He also denied any involvement in Brienna's abduction and murder

417
00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:58.200
and said that Carlene could provide him with an alibi.

418
00:25:58.680 --> 00:26:02.200
So they spoke to Carlen, who not only consented to

419
00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:06.039
their son's DNA being tested, but told police she could

420
00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:11.359
not account for his whereabouts. The DNA sample showed that

421
00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:14.599
the boy's father was a likely match to samples found

422
00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.319
on Brienna's body, as well as matching samples taken from

423
00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:23.640
other victims. James Biella was arrested on November twenty sixth

424
00:26:23.720 --> 00:26:25.799
as he was picking up his son from a daycare

425
00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:30.680
center in Spanish Springs, where his DNA was obtained at

426
00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:35.039
five thirty am. The next morning. Forensic analysis confirmed that

427
00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:39.319
James Biella's DNA was a match to the samples found

428
00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:43.839
on Brianna, the other victims, the sample from the McKay courthouse,

429
00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:47.240
and a sample taken from a condom wrapper from the

430
00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:52.359
attack the previous November. Police were also able to track

431
00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:55.960
down the truck Biella had sold in March and match

432
00:26:56.039 --> 00:26:58.960
the fibers taken from Emma's clothing to the carpeting on

433
00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:01.440
the floor of the pick, which is a two thousand

434
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:05.240
and six Toyota Tacoma. Biella was charged with the rape

435
00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:09.200
and murder Brianna Denison, first degree kidnapping and sexual assault

436
00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:13.160
of MBSC, and the sexual assault of Amanda See. On

437
00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:17.640
December nineteenth, two thousand and eight, at a press conference,

438
00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:21.680
District Attorney Richard Gammick and Deputy District Attorney Elliott Sadler

439
00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:25.799
said quote were going to prosecute this case to the maximum.

440
00:27:26.440 --> 00:27:29.319
He held the community at Bay Way too long and

441
00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:33.240
is what I call a hometown terrorist. There's no question

442
00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:37.960
about it. The District Attorney's office, while clear that they

443
00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:41.640
would prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, was

444
00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:44.519
undecided at the time if they would be pursuing the

445
00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:49.400
death penalty. In January, the District Attorney's Office announced that

446
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:52.440
they would be seeking the death penalty based on four

447
00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.319
aggravating conditions. Their main sided condition was the fact that

448
00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:01.839
Brianna Denison had been quote sexual dually penetrated before, during,

449
00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:05.240
or after she was killed, and that Beella committed three

450
00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:09.599
other felonies involving force against a person. The three other

451
00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:13.119
felonies were the sexual assaults and kidnappings of the other victims.

452
00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:16.880
As the DA prepared to take Biella to court, set

453
00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:20.680
for twenty ten, they learned some information about his background

454
00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:23.200
that showed his anger had been a cause for concern

455
00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:26.920
for years, though very few people in his life knew it.

456
00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:31.200
Depending on who you spoke to, Biello was either the

457
00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:34.680
life of the party, always ready to have a good time,

458
00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:39.119
or he was a bully with a quick temper. James

459
00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:42.160
Biella was born on June twenty ninth, nineteen eighty one,

460
00:28:42.279 --> 00:28:46.599
in Chicago, Illinois, to Joe and Kathy Biella. He was

461
00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:49.319
the youngest of five children, and when he was nine

462
00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:51.960
years old, the family moved to Reno when Joe was

463
00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:56.160
looking for a job as a truck mechanic. It seems

464
00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:59.680
as if James grew up relatively well adjusted, though his

465
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:02.079
parents divorce than he would go on to move with

466
00:29:02.119 --> 00:29:06.000
his mom to Spokane, and he had a strained relationship

467
00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:09.880
with his father. Joe said he enjoyed being a dad

468
00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:13.000
and was proud of his children, but admitted he did

469
00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:16.400
struggle with his mental health and had gotten into fights.

470
00:29:16.839 --> 00:29:19.240
He had also been jailed for a year for removing

471
00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.440
the serial number off of a firearm, and according to CBS,

472
00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:28.160
Joe Biella was physically violent towards Kathy. After James graduated

473
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:31.039
from West Valley High School in nineteen ninety nine, he

474
00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:34.119
joined the Marine Corps and attended basic training in San

475
00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:39.039
Diego before being stationed at Fort Lejune in North Carolina.

476
00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:43.599
He was promoted to lance corporal before his dishonorable discharge

477
00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:47.559
in two thousand and one. According to Joe Biella quote,

478
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:52.359
he got busted kicked out for doing drugs. Joe also

479
00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:55.920
said that his son rarely came to visit quote a

480
00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:58.200
couple of years ago. He comes here with his girlfriend

481
00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:02.559
and baby and says everything's okay, But it wasn't. Why

482
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:05.799
did he do this to this lady? In two thousand

483
00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:10.039
and two, James returned to Reno and almost immediately found

484
00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:14.200
himself in trouble with the law. During an altercation with

485
00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:19.160
his ex girlfriend, Angie Carlo Magno's neighbor, Biello threatened him

486
00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:22.240
with a knife, and during a drunken argument with Angie,

487
00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:25.200
he threatened her and kicked her dog, breaking its leg.

488
00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:29.480
She was granted an order of protection and he pleaded

489
00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:32.519
guilty to a misdemeanor in April of two thousand and three,

490
00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:36.799
ordered to take classes to manage his alcohol intake, and

491
00:30:37.160 --> 00:30:39.839
ordered to have no contact with his x for one year.

492
00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:44.240
Because the charge against him was a misdemeanor, Biella was

493
00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:49.240
not required to give a DNA sample. Biella also sporadically

494
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:53.359
trained at the Charles Grassey Jiu Jitsu Studio in Reno,

495
00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:58.240
also frequented by local police officers. Jiu Jitsu is a

496
00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:01.680
self defense art and emphasized his joint locks and chokeholds

497
00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:06.759
to control attackers. Gary Gray, the owner of the studio,

498
00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:08.839
said quote, he was just a guy in a big

499
00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:13.519
group of students. Great also said that nobody ever noticed

500
00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:17.400
anything odd about Biella, but he had stopped attending classes

501
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:20.799
at the same time that the police started investigating attacks

502
00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:25.240
on the un our campus, and non named acquaintance of

503
00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:28.000
Biellis said he was surprised at the news of his arrest.

504
00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:31.880
He told the Reno gazet Journal, quote, I just had

505
00:31:31.880 --> 00:31:33.960
a beer with him, sat right next to him the

506
00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:37.119
other night. He's the last person I think of his

507
00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:41.799
doing murder. He's a really likable guy. He's funny, great

508
00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:46.119
to be around. While some spoke highly of Biella, Carlene

509
00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:49.119
told police that they had a tumultuous relationship over the

510
00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:53.039
six years they had been together, and they were currently estranged,

511
00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:56.799
though they had applied for our marriage license together in September,

512
00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:01.160
two months before his arrest. James Biello went a trial

513
00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:05.119
on May tenth, twenty ten, and both of his previous victims,

514
00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:09.920
Emma and Amanda, testified. According to court records, Amanda was

515
00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:13.720
able to identify Biella as her attacker, and the prosecution

516
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:17.000
presented the DNA evidence in Emma's attack to prove that

517
00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:20.720
he had assaulted other women prior to Brianna's abduction and murder.

518
00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:24.799
Though the DNA evidence was not precise enough to point

519
00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:28.920
to Biella with complete certainty, the sample was consistent enough

520
00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:31.960
to prove that Biello or any of his male relatives

521
00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:36.599
was Emma's assailant. A forensics expert also testified that Biella's

522
00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:39.519
DNA sample was a match to the samples taken from

523
00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:43.440
Brianna's body, the underwear used to strangle her, as well

524
00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:47.480
as the doorknob at the McKay court House. They also

525
00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:50.359
introduced cell phone records proving that Beella was in the

526
00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:54.200
area during each of the attacks, and various testimonies from

527
00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:58.799
his victims, Carlene and his computer search history that he

528
00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:03.799
had an unusual interest in women's underwear. At the conclusion

529
00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:07.480
of the eighteen day trial, James Biella was found guilty

530
00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:11.720
on all five counts sexual assault with the use of

531
00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:15.440
a deadly weapon for the attack on Amanda, sexual assault

532
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:18.799
and first degree kidnapping for the attack on Emma, and

533
00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:23.160
the premeditated murder and sexual assault at Brandon Dennison after

534
00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:28.480
just six hours of jury deliberation. At his sentencing hearing,

535
00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:32.839
the prosecution presented their four aggravating circumstances to support their

536
00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:37.880
argument for the death penalty, which I mentioned earlier. Biella's

537
00:33:37.880 --> 00:33:40.720
defense team argued that he had had a rough upbringing,

538
00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:44.640
was a loving father and family man who supported his family,

539
00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:50.599
and did not have a significantly violent criminal history. Amanda

540
00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:53.960
also testified at the sentencing hearing, sharing with the court

541
00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:57.559
the impact the assault had on her life. She said

542
00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:00.920
that while she had graduated unr gotten married, and was

543
00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:05.279
expecting her first child, the attack had quote killed the trusting,

544
00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:10.280
vivacious woman I was. Biella refused to look at Amanda

545
00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:13.800
as she spoke, and she addressed that saying, quote, mister Beella,

546
00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:16.639
I wish you would look at me despite the fact

547
00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:20.000
you committed the most unforgivable act. I forgive you for

548
00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.119
everything you put me through. I pray you find peace

549
00:34:23.159 --> 00:34:25.559
with God, because he's the only one who can save you.

550
00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:31.239
According to the Nevada Appeal, the jury ultimately decided that

551
00:34:31.239 --> 00:34:35.280
Beella's mitigating factors did not outweigh the gravity of his crimes,

552
00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:38.519
and he was ultimately sentenced to death via lethal injection.

553
00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:43.400
In addition to his death sentence, Biella was also sentenced

554
00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:48.559
to four life sentences to be served consecutively. In the

555
00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:51.360
event that the death penalty ruling was thrown out, Biello

556
00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:54.320
would have to serve a minimum of thirty six years,

557
00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:58.519
ten years for each life sentence being the minimum before

558
00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:02.599
he would be eligible for a parole. According to the

559
00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:07.760
Nevada Appeal, Washoe County District Judge Robert Perry said, not

560
00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:11.960
only were these people terrorized, but the community was terrorized.

561
00:35:12.760 --> 00:35:17.119
My first concern is the safety of the community. According

562
00:35:17.159 --> 00:35:19.320
to the most recent list of inmates on death row

563
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:23.119
in Nevada, James Biella is still awaiting an execution date,

564
00:35:23.239 --> 00:35:28.320
though he has unsuccessfully appealed to sentencing countless times since

565
00:35:28.360 --> 00:35:32.199
the conclusion of his trial in twenty ten. While the

566
00:35:32.239 --> 00:35:34.960
conviction of Brianna's killer brought a sense of justice to

567
00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:38.559
her family, her mother's work was not done, and Briga

568
00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:41.559
went on to fight to have Brianna's Law introduced, which

569
00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:46.320
was ultimately passed in twenty thirteen. This law requires those

570
00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:49.199
arrested for a felony in Nevada to provide a DNA

571
00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:53.079
sample that would be immediately processed and compared to samples

572
00:35:53.079 --> 00:35:57.559
in Nevada's criminal database. Bridget hoped that this law would

573
00:35:57.599 --> 00:36:00.000
save other families from the heartache she and her fat

574
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:04.440
family had gone through. She and many others strongly believed

575
00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:07.480
that if James Biella's DNA had been collected in nineteen

576
00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:10.679
ninety six when he was arrested for a felony, then

577
00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:14.239
Brianna would still be alive, and perhaps he would not

578
00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:16.719
have had the opportunity to attack the women on un

579
00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:21.559
ours campus. Brianna's case and the fundraising efforts of the

580
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:25.159
community to have the DNA backlog cleared had also resulted

581
00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:30.320
in thirty unsolved cases being solved, emphasizing the importance of

582
00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:35.239
adequate funding for forensic laboratories. In addition to Brianna's law

583
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:39.760
being enacted, college campuses across the state also implemented new

584
00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:43.920
safety protocols in response to Brianna's death, along with new

585
00:36:43.960 --> 00:36:49.480
security measures and safety education programs. This case was never

586
00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:53.880
just about an investigation, a trial, or a conviction. It

587
00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:56.960
was about a vibrant nineteen year old woman whose future

588
00:36:57.039 --> 00:36:59.840
was stolen and a community that refused to let her

589
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:05.159
be forgotten. Reno rallied to bring Brianna home and then

590
00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:08.159
once again came together to find her killer and bring

591
00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:12.239
her justice, and her death has created a powerful legacy

592
00:37:12.360 --> 00:37:18.320
and made a lasting impact. However, well Brianna would ultimately

593
00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:22.719
get justice, the nightmare was not over for her family.

594
00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:29.400
Ten years after Brianna's murder, the Dentistens would suffer another

595
00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:35.199
devastating tragedy when her cousin Caitlin disappeared under mysterious circumstances,

596
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:42.039
which you'll hear all about in next week's episode. As always,

597
00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:45.119
I thank you so much for listening, and I hope

598
00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:49.480
you have a wonderful week and I will see you

599
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:54.000
in the next chapter of the Book of the Dead. Bye, guys,

600
00:37:55.440 --> 00:38:00.440
Another page closed. But the story isn't over for the

601
00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:04.280
families left behind. The pain doesn't end when the headlines fade.

602
00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:07.920
And for the victims, we owe them more than silence

603
00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:12.519
for our on Salvet cases. If you have any information,

604
00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:15.559
please reach out to local authorities or visit our show

605
00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:20.320
notes for links and resources. Someone out there knows something,

606
00:38:21.239 --> 00:38:24.800
maybe it's you. Thank you for listening to the Book

607
00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:27.880
of the Dead. If this story moved or spoke to

608
00:38:27.920 --> 00:38:31.719
you in some way, talk about it, share it, Keep

609
00:38:31.800 --> 00:38:38.719
their names alive. Until next time, I'm Courtney Liso. Stay safe,

610
00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:43.880
stay curious, and stay vigilant and remember. The dead may

611
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:47.280
be gone, but their stories will not be forgotten.