Briley Brothers - Capture and Incarceration

Capture and Incarceration

During interrogation by police, Duncan Meekins was offered a plea agreement in return for turning state's evidence against the Brileys. He took the offer and offered a full detailing of the crime spree; as a result, he escaped the death penalty and was incarcerated at a Virginia prison away from any of the Briley brothers.

The plea agreement gave him a sentence of life plus 80 years, which at the time of conviction would make him eligible for parole after serving 12–15 years. Duncan Meekins is still in prison awaiting parole; both the (former) case prosecutors and the detective who arrested him are publicly advocating his release to the parole board.

A single life sentence with parole eligibility was handed down to Anthony Briley, youngest brother of the trio, due to his limited involvement in the killings.

Because of Virginia's "triggerman statute," both J.B. and Linwood received numerous life sentences for murders committed during the spree, but faced capital charges only in cases where they had physically committed the actual killing of the victim.

Linwood was sentenced to death for the abduction and murder of John Gallaher, while J.B. received two death sentences, one for each of the murders of Judy Barton and her son Harvey.

A Richmond judge presiding at one of the trials summed up the case following the verdict, "This was the vilest rampage of rape, murder and robbery that the court has seen in thirty years."

Both were sent to death row at Mecklenburg Correctional Center near Boydton in early 1980. While there, they were disruptive inmates who used their guile and physical prowess to threaten both fellow inmates and officers. A flourishing drug and weapon trade operated in the prison under their leadership.