Linwood and his brother James caused further panic in May 1984, after they and four other condemned killers escaped from the "escape-proof" Mecklenburg prison in the biggest death-row breakout in U.S. history. When Duncan Meekins was interrogated over his role in the murders, he accepted a plea negotiation that involved testifying against the Briley Brothers to avoid the death penalty. They looted the home, then tried to burn the couple alive, according to Killer Siblings. Luckily, Meekins tied their bonds too loosely and they were able to escape after the gang left the home in flames. He is incarcerated at Augusta Correctional Center, about 20 miles outside Staunton, Virginia. "I didn't know that my dad was going to die, and that's what really got to me. Members of the small family were only put out of their misery after three members of the gang had each raped Judy within earshot of her partner and young son, according to the Post. King Blues Club and Grill, 237 West 42nd St. NYC. Briley Brothers Linwood Briley James "J.B." Briley Anthony Briley Early lives The brothers were born to a stable home with two parents on the Northeast side of Richmond. On March 12of that year, the brothers along with Meekins forced their way into the home of elderlycoupleWilliam and Virginia Butcher. "My intentions weren't to rob her," Ampy said. The Brothers Started Committing Crimes Together Early. Harold Reid, member of the Statler Brothers, dies at 80 after battling kidney failure. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, 41, and Brandy Washington tied the knot last week, a year after the couple got engaged. For more on the Briley brothers murder spree, including unbelievable details of their 1984 prison break, tune in to Killer Siblings, airingSundays at 8/7conOxygen. The three Briley brothers, Linwood Earl (March 26, 1954 - October 12, 1984), James Dyral Jr. (June 6, 1956 - April 18, 1985) and Anthony Ray (born February 17, 1958) were brought up by their parents, James Dyral Briley Sr. and Bertha, in Richmond's Highland Park neighborhood. He remembers that day well -- he was called to the principal's office, where his grandmother was waiting to pick him up. A third brother, Anthony Briley, was sentenced to life in prison. [1] In 1984, the two elder brothers escaped death row with four other inmates but were recaptured within three weeks. On March 12of that year, the brothers along with Meekins forced their way into the home of elderlycoupleWilliam and Virginia Butcher. According to his statement to police, Ampy loosely talked about committing a robbery with two other patients at Tucker Pavilion at CJW Medical Center (Chippenham), where he was sent for treatment after attempting suicide. "My mom took care of us as best she could," Ampy wrote in his pre-sentencing report. The three brothers criminal acts escalated precipitously, according to authorities interviewed for Killer Siblings onOxygen. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. When arrested months later, Linwood was still wearing a ring stolen from Gallaher's hand. Just two months later, though, Ampy was ambushed by two men outside an East Coast service station on Jefferson Davis Highway. Page had her head beaten in she was unrecognizable, according to authorities on Killer Siblings. Garner was beaten as well, and then pinned to the floor with knives, scissors and a fork, according to the Washington Post. Anthony Ray Briley, the youngest of the brothers, was a participant early on in the crime rampage but is not believed to have personally killed anyone. Linwood was executed first on October 12, 1984, on Virginias electric chair. As a result, he escaped the death penalty and was briefly incarcerated at a Virginia correctional facility away from any of the Briley brothers. They had a daughter, who is now 15. Why are we still having these debates? James Briley and his gang murdered disc jockey John Johnny G. Gallaher on September 14. Authorities pushed forward with the charges they knew would stick, primarily trying to make sure theBrileysand Meekins would never walk the streets again, according to Killer Siblings. All four were charged in the Wilkerson, Garner and Page murders, with Anthony being sentenced to life and James and Linwood sentenced to death. When the brothers reached their teenage years, Bertha and James split up and she moved away. According to authorities interviewed on Killer Siblings, the Briley gang noticed Gallahers shiny belt buckle, and took his life for it; his murder would later be pinned on Linwood. On September 30, 62-year-old private nurse Mary Wilfong was followed home to her Richmond apartment. William Bucher managed to free himself and his wife from their restraints, which Meekins apparently had not tied tightly enough, and escape just before the house became engulfed in flames. There, the three brothers wrestled him to the ground. They are escorted in handcuffs and wear them everywhere except in their cells, the exercise yard and the shower. Briley, 28, exchanged vows Thursday with the divorced mother of four in a 10-minute ceremony just paces away from the electric chair. The crime almost went undetected until her loved ones noticed a small bloody mark on her back during body viewing. Ampy recalls that during visits, his dad displayed some of his drawings. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The two tied up their victims and robbed them of the valuable property before setting the house on fire. Linwood, James and Anthony Briley brutally killed between 11 and 20 Virginians, including a 5-year-old boy and pregnant woman before their capture. On September 14, disc jockey John Harvey "Johnny G." Gallaher was performing with his band at a South Richmond nightclub. Read on to find out what Barry's life is like today. The 17-year-old Christopher Philips was killed on July 4th when the Briley Brothers thought he was trying to break into the vehicle. Linwood was survived by one son, Norman Laquan Ampy, who later served time in prison for bank robbery and died in 2015. But they still had a historic prison break in them. Here's what happened to the "Blues Brothers" after their movie became a phenomenal hit. I will wear your love and your name. There were someominoussigns in the childhood of brothers Linwood, James and Anthony Briley. And in archival footage featured in the documentary, Robin said he felt at the time that he had been sidelined by the bands manager, Robert Stigwood (who also managed Eric Claptons Cream). Im always reliving it. "They can go down to the next generation. But Ampy later told investigators that he didn't need the money because he received a state settlement after his father's execution, in addition to $2,065 a month in disability for his leg injury and other medical issues and Social Security income that his father earned. Everly died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, according to his attorney and family spokesperson Linda Edell Howard. "It certainly did with Norman's case," he added. At age 16, he left his mother's home and moved in with a girlfriend. On April 10, Ampy was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with 17 suspended, for that crime. They escaped from the residence with many of her valuables. I never knew that day was coming.". Linwood and James were executed by electric chair in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Having been looking around town for a victim all night without success, they decided to lie in wait for whoever might happen to step outside. With their younger sibling Anthony, Linwood and James were regarded by older neighbors as people who would help neighbors fix cars or mow lawns. The wedding was scheduled for 5 p.m. but the groom was left waiting at the altar--in his cell--while prison authorities strip-searched the bride and Brileys father, James Sr. Redding, who began writing Briley after his brother Linwood was executed last Oct. 12, proposed the marriage. Six months after Briley's execution, Ampy's uncle James D. Briley was put to death in connection with the same series of murders. Michael McDuffie, a well-renowned vending machine serviceman was killed on March 21 by members of the gang who used extreme force to break down his suburban home and then fatally shot him and then stole his valuables. "[18], The day James was executed, fellow inmates tried to delay the process by attacking the guards with homemade knives. The victims of the final murders were the family of Harvey Wilkerson, a longtime friend of the brothers. Please subscribe to keep reading. He had just been released from a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide and was "out of his mind" on medication for depression and pain. Righteous Brother Bill Medley, at 80, has seen it all just this year Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers participates during a new streaming series with Broadway World at The Space in Las. There were three Briley Brothers, Linwood Earl, James Dyral Jr., and Anthony Ray. That led police in Henrico County to charge him with attempting to rob a Henrico pharmacy three months earlier. Briley is scheduled for execution April 18. Harvey followed shortly thereafter. The gang saw seventeen-year-old Christopher Philips hanging around Linwood's parked car on July 4. There were some ominous signs in the childhood of brothers Linwood, James and Anthony Briley. "I've told it to my Boy Scout troop. Since then, Ampys life has been filled with crime, drugs, pain and prison. You can cancel at any time. Their oldest brother, Edward Jerome "Boot" (July 7, 1952 November 19, 2020) left the home to live with relatives in North Carolina in his early teen years and was not involved with his younger brothers later criminal activities. Moving toward her with the knife, Ampy demanded she give him the drugs, Huberman said. The familys bodies were not discovered by police for three days, but a task force that was surveilling the area at the time of the murders helped quickly pin them on theBrileysand Meekins. Meanwhile, Wilbert Lee Evans, on death row after being convicted of the murder of Alexandria City sheriff's deputy William Truesdale, prevented Linwood from raping a female nurse. The boy, just 10, paid regular visits to his father at the former State Penitentiary in downtown Richmond, but he knew almost nothing about what had landed Linwood Earl Briley on death row. [4][5], In 1979, the three Briley brothers and an accomplice, Duncan Eric Meekins, began the seven-month series of random killings that terrified the city and surrounding region.[6]. Five days later, on October 5, just two blocks from the Briley home on 4th Avenue, 75-year-old Blanche Page and her 59-year-old boarder Charles Garner were murdered by the brothers. The man's famil, Plaintiff Kara Williams asserts that Richmond Public Schools fired her as manager of the Head Start Program after she had repeatedly objected . Warmer storms could cause problems, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins, U.S. State Department warns to avoid parts of Mexico over ongoing violence, kidnappings, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. The fate of the Briley brothers was soon sealed. On Aug. 9, a Henrico judge sentenced Ampy to 10 years in prison, with six years suspended. He became addicted to pain medications while in the hospital, where he had more operations than he can remember. Shielded from his father's horrendous crimes by family members, Ampy didn't know his father was to be executed until the day arrived on Oct. 12, 1984, he said. 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