Murder of Brianna Denison

So, back in the day, this chick named Brianna Zunino Denison was a college student chilling at her friend's house in Reno, Nevada. But, hold up, things took a dark turn on January 20, 2008. Some sicko abducted her right from her friend's crib. Can you believe that crap?

Fast forward to February 15, 2008, and a regular Joe out for a stroll stumbled upon Brianna's lifeless body in a field not too far from where she lived. It's heartbreaking, man. Turns out, she had been brutally raped and strangled. Damn, that's some messed up crap right there.

But wait, it gets even more twisted. Near Brianna's body, they found a piece of underwear. And get this, it had the DNA of both the sicko who did the crime and some unknown chick. What the hell, right? The cops figured that the underwear wasn't Brianna's and that it was probably left there to mess with their heads. Sick freaks, I tell ya.

Now, let's fast forward to November 25, 2008. The cops finally caught a break and nabbed this dude named James Michael Biela, a 27-year-old from Sparks, Nevada. They threw his sorry ass in the slammer on charges of murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault. About time justice caught up with that scumbag.

They took a DNA sample from Biela, and guess what? Turns out, this scumbag had a history. Back in 2001, he got busted for threatening his ex-girlfriend's neighbor with a freakin' knife. Classy guy, huh?

So, on November 26, 2008, the Reno Police Department held a press conference and dropped the bombshell. They confirmed that the DNA they snagged from Biela matched the DNA found at the crime scene. Boom! They had their guy. Not only was he linked to Brianna's murder, but also another sexual assault. What a sicko.

But wait, there's more. Turns out, one of Biela's girlfriend's buddies snitched on him via the Secret Witness program on November 1, 2008. Apparently, his girl spilled the beans to her friend that she found some unknown undies in Biela's truck when they were rollin' back from Washington state. Talk about a twisted relationship.

Biela, that scumbag, had the audacity to deny his involvement and refused to give them a DNA sample. But the cops weren't messing around. They questioned his girlfriend and she gave them permission to test her 4-year-old son's DNA. And guess what? The test revealed that one of Biela's sicko relatives had left their DNA at Brianna's abduction spot and the scene of the previous rape. It's like a family affair of monsters.

Finally, on May 27, 2010, justice was served. Biela was found guilty of Brianna Denison's murder. After nine long hours of deliberation, the jury slapped his sorry ass with a guilty verdict for everything: kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. And you know what? The judge didn't mess around either. He sentenced Biela to death for the heinous crime he committed. Good riddance, scumbag.

But that's not all. On July 30, 2010, Judge Robert Perry piled on four additional life sentences for Biela. This sicko had attacked and violated two other victims before he got his filthy hands on Brianna. It's sickening to think about the pain and suffering he caused.

Additional Info

Brianna Zunino Denison (March 29, 1988 – January 20, 2008) was a college student who was abducted on January 20, 2008, from a friend's house in Reno, Nevada. Her body was discovered on February 15, 2008, in a field near a Reno business park after being raped and murdered. A man named James Biela was convicted of the murder.

Background

Brianna Denison attended Reno High School in Reno, Nevada, graduating in June 2006. Denison was at home during winter break from Santa Barbara City College, where she was studying psychology. She and her friends had attended events tied to a Summer Winter Action Tours LLC (a travel agency that caters to students), Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Reno; Denison had reportedly attended this event in the past. She was last seen alive on January 20, 2008, at about 4am Pacific Time at her friend's house near the University of Nevada campus. This residence is on Mackay Court in Reno, where she was staying after attending a party at the Sands Regency on North Arlington Avenue. Her friend woke up at around 9:00 am and could not find Denison. A small bloodstain was found on the pillow Denison slept on that night, which led her friend to alert Denison's parents and local authorities. Denison had left the house without her shoes, cell phone, or purse. Authorities believed she was wearing only sweats and a white tank top. She was later found to have been dressed in only bright orange-colored socks.

In the following days, the Reno Police Department conducted a forensic investigation of the MacKay Court residence where Denison was staying when she was abducted and found touch DNA belonging to an unidentified male on the doorknob. They also discovered that blood on the pillow was Denison's. Investigators began focusing on a kidnapping scenario.