The Murder Of Brianna Denison

On January 29, 2008, Reno police released a description of the unknown perpetrator. The person in question was also linked to at least two attempted sexual assaults in November and December 2007, and a woman claimed to have been raped in a parking garage in October. Previous victims also gave enough detailed information for police to draw up a sketch of the suspect. An item of underwear was found near Denison's body along with the DNA of the perpetrator and the DNA of an unknown female. Police said that the clothing item did not belong to Denison and that it might have been left near her body to taunt the investigators. Police asked that anyone who recognized the clothing item as theirs come forward as they might know the identity of the perpetrator.

On Tuesday, November 25, 2008, James Michael Biela, 27, of Sparks, Nevada, was arrested and booked at the Washoe County Jail on charges of murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault. The arrest occurred while he was dropping his son off at the Stepping Stones Children's Center in Reno. A DNA sample was collected from Biela. He had previously been arrested in 2001 for threatening his former girlfriend's neighbor with a knife.

In a press conference held by the Reno Police Department on Wednesday, November 26, 2008, it was confirmed that the DNA collected from Biela matched the DNA found at the crime scene, positively linking him to the murder of Brianna Denison and a previous sexual assault.

At this same press conference, it was also stated that a friend of his girlfriend had turned in Biela via the Secret Witness program on November 1, 2008. Biela's girlfriend had confided to this friend that she had found underwear unknown to her in Biela's truck as they were coming back from Washington state, where Biela had taken a job in March. Widespread news media reports began circulating, including a police sketch of a suspect and a description of a vehicle used in another rape the month before Brianna's abduction. According to Reno Police Department Chief Michael Poehlman, Biela was questioned by detectives after the Secret Witness tip came in. He denied involvement and declined to provide a DNA sample. Biela's girlfriend was also questioned and gave police permission to obtain DNA from her 4-year-old son, whom Biela had fathered. The test indicated that his direct relative had left DNA at the home where Brianna Denison was abducted and at the other rape that had taken place the prior month. With this evidence, Reno police obtained an arrest warrant and one for Biela's DNA. Chief Poehlman announced at the press conference that the Washoe County Sheriff's Department crime lab had tested Biela's DNA and found it matched DNA from the Denison case, another rape. Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick told reporters at the news conference he would be prosecuting the case with one of his lead criminal deputies, Elliot Sattler, and that his office would be seeking the "maximum penalty" for Biela, up to and including the death penalty.

On his way to Washington, it was also announced that Biela had sold his truck in Idaho, which matched the description of the vehicle used in the previous sexual assault. At the press conference, officials said the vehicle was being returned to Reno to be searched and used as evidence in the case against him.

On Thursday, May 27, 2010, Biela was found guilty of the murder of Brianna Denison. After deliberating for about nine hours, the jury returned a guilty verdict for all counts against Biela, which included kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. Defense attorneys argued against the death penalty, stating that Biela suffered an abusive childhood due to an alcoholic father, that he had been a productive member of society before his crimes, and that he was a model prisoner. Jurors did not accept these mitigating factors and handed out the death sentence. On July 30, 2010, Judge Robert Perry sentenced Biela to four additional life sentences for multiple counts of rape and kidnapping associated with attacks on two victims prior to Denison's abduction and murder. Biela has appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court to reverse the denial of his 2012 writ of habeas corpus by the Washoe County second judicial district court. His appeal has most recently been denied on June 12, 2019, whereby the Nevada Supreme Court "considered Biela's arguments and concluding that they do not warrant relief, we ORDER the judgment of the district court AFFIRMED."

The sale of handguns, stunguns and pepper spray increased dramatically in the University of Nevada, Reno area after Denison's body was found. Denison's mother founded the Bring Bri Justice Foundation to try to implement changes after Denison's body was found.

On February 23, 2008, hundreds of people attended a vigil held in Reno for Denison.