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It sounds like a dubious Hollywood blockbuster: six death row inmates gain control of their division of the prison, eventually forcing their way out and going on the run. But this really happened in 1984, at the Mecklenburg Correctional Facility in Virginia. And for the police that were responsible for trying to round them up, the worst part of it was that the ringleaders of the gang were Linwood and J.B. Briley.
Flashback to 1971. The oldest Briley brother, Linwood, kills his first victim, at the age of 16. While everyone was ready to write-off the death of the death of the elderly Orline Christian as natural causes, a relative noticed a bloody mark on her back as they were viewing the body. On re-examination, investigators found a small bullet wound , they found that the bullet must have been fired from the Briley’s home next door. Linwood was unfazed and readily admitted to the crime, reasoning that he’d heard that Christian was in ill-health and was going to die soon anyway. J.B. soon joined his brother in juvenile detention for shooting at a police officer.
For anyone who thought Linwood was another Dr Kevorkian, he soon dispelled that theory, teaming up with J.B. and recruiting their 16 year old brother, Anthony and Duncan Meekins in 1979 to commence a vicious rampage throughout Virginia.
First, on March 12, Linwood and Anthony committed a home invasion, tying William and Virginia Butcher up at gunpoint, ransacking the house, dousing everything in kerosene and setting it alight before fleeing. William Butcher managed to free himself and rescue his wife, before they were burnt alive. Next, nine days later, was another home invasion on Michael McDuffie, again where the victim’s house was ransacked, though this time the victim was shot dead.
On April 9, the brothers stalked Mary Gowen, following her into her house, where they robbed, r*ped and murdered the 76-year old.
A long (for them) lull ended on July 4, when the brothers saw Chistopher Phillips loitering near Linwood’s car. Linwood, J.B. and Anthony attacked him, with Linwood killing Phillips, by dropping a cinderblock on him.
Having been ready to give up on a fruitless night searching for a victim, on September 14, the Brileys caught John Gallaher outside a nightclub. Gallaher was thrown in the boot of his own car, driven to an abandoned lot, shot in the head and dumped in the James River.
On September 30, the brothers followed Mary Wilfong to her home, where they attacked her. Linwood beat her to death with a baseball bat, before they ransacked the house.
Less than a week later, the brothers killed two people, Blanche Page and her boarder, Charles Garner, at their home, two blocks away from where the Brileys lived. Page was bludgeoned, while Garner dies after being attacked with a baseball bat, knives, a pair of scissors and a fork.
J.B. Briley had been in court on the morning of October 19, regarding his parole from a robbery and malicious wounding conviction. As the Brileys walked down their street, Harvey Wilkerson noticed them, closing and locking his door. This counted as provocation to the brothers, who approached the house, demanding to be let in. Fearful, Wilkerson opened the door, where he and his wife, Judy Barton, were quickly bound and gagged. Linwood and Duncan Meekins r*ped Barton and the gang again ransacked the house. Meekins was told that he ‘had to get one’, subsequently shooting Wilkerson in the head. J.B. killed Barton and her five-year old son.
By this stage, the Brileys were already under surveillance. Linwood and J.B. had an argument before the murders of October 19, when they saw a van on their street. Linwood (correctly) suspected that inside they were being watched from behind the tinted windows. J.B. responded by firing shots in the air and shaking the van, reasoning that police would have come out, if they were in the van.
The police officers heard the shots that killed Barton, Wilkerson and the child, but didn’t know where they had come from. The deaths were not discovered until days later, with the gang being quickly arrested. Meekins accepted a plea deal, avoiding the death penalty and becoming eligible for parole after 12-15 years in prison. He remains in prison more than 30 years later, despite pleas for him to be released, including from his prosecutor and detectives who worked the case. Anthony Briley was sentenced to life in prison. Linwood and J.B. received multiple life sentences. J.B. was sentenced to death for the murders of Barton and her son; Linwood received a death sentence for the murder of Gallaher.
Flashback to 1971. The oldest Briley brother, Linwood, kills his first victim, at the age of 16. While everyone was ready to write-off the death of the death of the elderly Orline Christian as natural causes, a relative noticed a bloody mark on her back as they were viewing the body. On re-examination, investigators found a small bullet wound , they found that the bullet must have been fired from the Briley’s home next door. Linwood was unfazed and readily admitted to the crime, reasoning that he’d heard that Christian was in ill-health and was going to die soon anyway. J.B. soon joined his brother in juvenile detention for shooting at a police officer.
For anyone who thought Linwood was another Dr Kevorkian, he soon dispelled that theory, teaming up with J.B. and recruiting their 16 year old brother, Anthony and Duncan Meekins in 1979 to commence a vicious rampage throughout Virginia.
First, on March 12, Linwood and Anthony committed a home invasion, tying William and Virginia Butcher up at gunpoint, ransacking the house, dousing everything in kerosene and setting it alight before fleeing. William Butcher managed to free himself and rescue his wife, before they were burnt alive. Next, nine days later, was another home invasion on Michael McDuffie, again where the victim’s house was ransacked, though this time the victim was shot dead.
On April 9, the brothers stalked Mary Gowen, following her into her house, where they robbed, r*ped and murdered the 76-year old.
A long (for them) lull ended on July 4, when the brothers saw Chistopher Phillips loitering near Linwood’s car. Linwood, J.B. and Anthony attacked him, with Linwood killing Phillips, by dropping a cinderblock on him.
Having been ready to give up on a fruitless night searching for a victim, on September 14, the Brileys caught John Gallaher outside a nightclub. Gallaher was thrown in the boot of his own car, driven to an abandoned lot, shot in the head and dumped in the James River.
On September 30, the brothers followed Mary Wilfong to her home, where they attacked her. Linwood beat her to death with a baseball bat, before they ransacked the house.
Less than a week later, the brothers killed two people, Blanche Page and her boarder, Charles Garner, at their home, two blocks away from where the Brileys lived. Page was bludgeoned, while Garner dies after being attacked with a baseball bat, knives, a pair of scissors and a fork.
J.B. Briley had been in court on the morning of October 19, regarding his parole from a robbery and malicious wounding conviction. As the Brileys walked down their street, Harvey Wilkerson noticed them, closing and locking his door. This counted as provocation to the brothers, who approached the house, demanding to be let in. Fearful, Wilkerson opened the door, where he and his wife, Judy Barton, were quickly bound and gagged. Linwood and Duncan Meekins r*ped Barton and the gang again ransacked the house. Meekins was told that he ‘had to get one’, subsequently shooting Wilkerson in the head. J.B. killed Barton and her five-year old son.
By this stage, the Brileys were already under surveillance. Linwood and J.B. had an argument before the murders of October 19, when they saw a van on their street. Linwood (correctly) suspected that inside they were being watched from behind the tinted windows. J.B. responded by firing shots in the air and shaking the van, reasoning that police would have come out, if they were in the van.
The police officers heard the shots that killed Barton, Wilkerson and the child, but didn’t know where they had come from. The deaths were not discovered until days later, with the gang being quickly arrested. Meekins accepted a plea deal, avoiding the death penalty and becoming eligible for parole after 12-15 years in prison. He remains in prison more than 30 years later, despite pleas for him to be released, including from his prosecutor and detectives who worked the case. Anthony Briley was sentenced to life in prison. Linwood and J.B. received multiple life sentences. J.B. was sentenced to death for the murders of Barton and her son; Linwood received a death sentence for the murder of Gallaher.
