Murder of Brianna Denison

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Brianna Zunino Denison (March 29, 1988 - c. February, 2008) was a college student from Santa Barbara, California who was abducted on January 20, 2008 from a friend's house in Reno, Nevada and whose body was discovered on February 15, 2008 in a field near a Reno business park after being murdered by an unknown serial rapist.

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[edit] Background

Denison was at home for winter break from Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, California where she studied psychology. She and her friends were attending events tied to the Summer Winter Action Tours Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Reno, that Denison reportedly had attended in the past[1]. Brianna was last seen on January 20, 2008 at approximately 4:00 AM PT at a friend's house in MacKay Court, Reno where she was staying after attending a party at the Sands Hotel and Casino on North Arlington Avenue in Reno.[2]. When her friend, K.T. Hunter, woke up at around 9:00 AM PT, Denison was nowhere to be found. A small blood stain was found on the pillow she used to sleep with that night, which led her friend to alert Brianna's parents and consequentially local authorities. Dension left the house without her shoes, cell phone and purse. Authorities believe she was barefoot, wearing only sweats and a white tank top[3].

In the following days, the Reno Police Department conducted a forensic investigation on the room where Brianna was sleeping and found DNA belonging to an unidentified male. They also found that the blood on the pillow was that of Denison. Investigators began focusing towards a kidnapping scenario.

[edit] Search

On January 21, 2008 investigators began sweeping the University of Nevada, Reno area in search of Denison. The FBI also joined in the search efforts[1]. Investigators later learned that the male DNA found on the couch where Denison was sleeping the night when she disappeared was linked with at least 2 previous sexually motivated attacks in the same area on November 13 and December 16, 2007. An earlier attack on October 22 at the University of Nevada, Reno campus could also be related. In that incident, the attacker brazenly raped a woman at gunpoint in a garage where campus police park their cruisers[4]. Police began interviewing nearly 100 registered sex offenders who live within a mile of the MacKay Court home. One of those offenders is considered a high risk to reoffend. [5]

Around 1700 volunteers helped with the search of a 100-square-mile (260 km²) area during the time Denison was missing[6], including Nevada's First Lady Dawn Gibbons (wife of Governor Jim Gibbons[7] [8].

On February 15, 2008 a company worker discovered a body on a company's field, partially covered in the snow. February 16, 2008, an autopsy report confirmed that the body found in a field near a Reno business park was that of Brianna Denison.[9]Police believe she had been dead for at least 2 weeks.

[edit] Suspect

On January 29, 2008, Reno Police released a description of the unknown perpetrator[10]. The person in question is also linked to at least 2 attempted sexual assault in November and December 2007. Previous victims also gave enough detailed information for police to draw up a sketch of the suspect[11]. A pair of thong underwear was found near Denison's body along with the DNA of the perpetrator and the DNA of an unknown female. Police have said that the clothing item did not belong to Denison and that it may have been left near her body to taunt the investigators. [12]Police have asked anyone who may recognize the clothing item as theirs to come forward as they may know the identity of the perpetrator.

Police have recently released an updated description of the suspect[13].

[edit] Aftermath

The sale of handguns, stunguns and pepper spray increased dramatically in the University of Nevada, Reno area after the body of Denison was found.[14]

On February 23, 2008 a vigil for Denison was held in Reno, Nevada and was attended by hundreds of people[15].

[edit] Media attention

The case has received prominent national media attention, including coverage by national news services FOXNews [2], CNN [9], ABC News [1], MSNBC [6] and CBS News [12].

Denison was also targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church who protested at her memorial service on February 23, 2008[16][17][18].

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c FBI Joins Search for 'Abducted' Teen. ABCNews.com (2008-01-22). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  2. ^ a b FBI Joins Search for Missing Nevada Woman; Police Suspect Abduction. FOXNews.com (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  3. ^ FBI Joins Search for 'Abducted' Teen. ABCNews.com (2008-01-22). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  4. ^ Reno Campus on Edge After Attacks. ABCNews.com (2008-02-17). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  5. ^ Police intensify hunt for woman. RGJ.com (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  6. ^ a b Search for Brianna Denison continues. MSNBC.com (2008-02-14). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  7. ^ First Lady Gibbons, Kayakers Search for Denison. ktvn.com (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  8. ^ Dawn Gibbons joins in Denison search. RGJ.com (2008-02-02). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  9. ^ a b Police: Dead student victim of serial rapist. CNN.com (2008-02-17). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  10. ^ Cops Release Description Of Reno Kidnapper. CBSNews.com (2008-01-29). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  11. ^ Police Release Sketch of Rape Suspect With Ties to Missing Brianna Denison. FOXNews.com (2008-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  12. ^ a b Panties May Be Clue To Serial Rapist. CBSNews.com (2008-02-20). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  13. ^ http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/NEWS/803220332/0/NEWS18
  14. ^ More People are Buying Guns for Protection. ktvn.com (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  15. ^ Slain student remembered as 'angel' at vigil. CNN.com (2008-02-22). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  16. ^ God's curse upon Reno, Nevada, is irreversible, because they have persecuted WBC. GodHatesFags.com (2008-02-20). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  17. ^ Hate Group Plans to Picket Brianna Service. ktvn.com (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  18. ^ Thousands Mourn Slain College Student. ABCNews.com (2008-02-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-01.