Brunn Pleads Guilty to Jorelys' Murder
The maintenance worker will serve life in prison without possibility of parole for killing the 7-year-old Canton girl.
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Maintenance worker Ryan Brunn pleaded guilty this afternoon to the murder of 7-year-old Canton girl Jorelys Rivera.
Brunn, 20, will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole under his plea agreement.
"I know right from wrong," he said during a Cherokee County Superior Court hearing.
Last week a Cherokee County grand jury indicted Brunn on 13 counts in connection with Jorelys' murder.
A charge of aggravated child molestation was reduced to child molestation Tuesday, and he'll serve his time on all charges concurrently with the murder conviction.
Brunn said he never touched Jorelys in a sexual way, but instead told her to touch herself after luring her to a vacant apartment, No. 10009. He said she followed his directions.
But then he feared she would tell her parents what had happened, so he slit her throat with a razor.
The object he used to lure her to the apartment also played a part in Jorelys' death, Brunn said. He showed her a photo of her own skate to get her to join him; he later beat her to death with that skate, hitting her five times.
He said he smoked marijuana that day before abducting Jorelys.
Until today, Brunn had been at the Cherokee County Detention Center since authorities arrested him Dec. 7, two days after investigators found Jorelys' severely beaten body in a compacting Dumpster from the River Ridge at Canton apartment complex.
Jorelys and Brunn lived at the complex, where Brunn began working in November when he moved to Canton from Dahlonega.
In court Tuesday, Brunn said he left the note on the trash container that led authorities to the body inside. Written on a McDonald's receipt, the note read, "She's in the trash."
He said he disposed of her body before sundown Dec. 2, the day she disappeared.
Leaving that note was just a way to cause excitement by stirring up police activity, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said after the court hearing.
Keenan said Brunn never shed a tear for Jorelys.
He also said the sexual assault on a child was not an isolated incident for Brunn. The 20-year-old also has molested children, including a family member, in Lumpkin County.
Brunn also committed molestation in Virginia, Cherokee County District Attorney Garry Moss said.
Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison, who serves on the board of the Georgia Department of Corrections, said he made arrangements in "advance for the Department of Corrections to be (at the Cherokee County Justice Center) waiting" for Brunn.
"They left with him after the plea," Garrison said. "He was taken back over to the jail and reinterviewed by the GBI."
Brunn was officially turned over to the Department of Corrections at 6:30 p.m. He was transferred to the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.
Stay tuned to Canton-Sixes Patch for updates.
In This article
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Cherokee County Justice Center
90 North St, Canton, GA -
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Cherokee County Detention Center
498 Chattin Dr, Canton, GA -
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River Ridge at Canton
100 River Ridge Dr, Canton, GA -
Cherokee County Public Safety Building
150 Chattin Dr, Canton, GA
Joe Bozeman
4:07 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Does this mean there will be no trial?
Jonathan Cribbs
4:22 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
There will be no trial. He pleaded guilty.
Georgia Cat
4:29 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
So this tragedy could have been avoided. Why, why, why??? This is so terrible.
Courtney Hall
10:11 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
...? Every tragedy can be avoided. I don't get what you mean here.
SUSAN
4:36 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I can't see this as justice.....I hope when he gets inside that he gets the REAL justice he deserves. I can't stand the thought that this creep scum bag still breathes while that little girl is gone. I weep for her family and loved ones. Precious angel bought down by that discusting excuse and I hope that the police that are in the area from which he moved from....I believe Brooklyn look into "unsolved cases" in that area. There must be a reason he left.....just saying.
I am not usually one to say such harsh statements but I am sick and disturbed by this.
An Eye for Eye.....
SUSAN
4:40 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
OMG ...I just noticed the end where he has a record of molesting children before......ARE YOU F'''''' KIDDING ME? WHAT HAS BECOME OF JUSTICE?
Where and why was he let go from Lumpkin County?
I am melting with anger from this.
Briana Couch
5:06 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
no doubt!!! why is any known sex offender given the chance to do it again? why wasn't he registered? Guess we will never know all of that......just glad he won't have the chance to do it again!
Rodney Thrash
5:15 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Everyone: Ryan Brunn was not a known sex offender. It wasn't until this case that authorities discovered that he may have a history of child molestation, in Lumpkin County and in Virginia. Those instances were not reported. And he will not face charges in relation to those incidents. He's already going to spend life behind bars.
Pam J
7:44 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I am just glad he finally admitted to doing it. No trial, just straight to prison. And being so young, he will be there for a very, very long time. No more freedom. And I don't know why they need so many different charges. Just murder should be enough. And as gruesome as the details are, I think the police needed to know the circumstances leading up to the abduction and how he actually killed her. The loose ends can now be tied together and little Jorelys can finally rest in peace. And her family won't be put through a horrible trial.
Hank Williams
8:49 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What a shame. I'm glad the family of Jordan won't have to suffer through trial, I'm furious that he won't face capital punishment, just to save the money of a trial and yrs. of appeals! He must have been abused himself to commit such a crime. God, give both families peace, and have mercy upon his soul.
Jeremy Oxford
11:52 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
He did not recieve a capital punishment due to the fact that the FBI will be studying him to help build up a better understanding of tue pathology that is involved with crimes such as this. This will help them to further understand the patterns individuals like this express in thief crimes which may help to save other victim's or bring other crimals of this nature to justice. My heart goes out to the family of this child, and I am glad this guy admitted to his guilt. I hope while he is in there he does help police and psychologist, I also pray he realizes the nature of his sickness, and seeks the Lord for repentance. This is all so hard to swallow, but atleast he will never have the chance to do something like this ever again!!
Jeremy Oxford
11:55 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I apologize for some of my wording in my last post as I did not catch the "auto correct" errors. I was typing on my phone so just use your brain where is don't make sense!...lol, once again I apologize for that!!
Pam J
12:08 am on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
For all of you who are upset that he did not get the death penalty, just think about how you would feel being behind bars for the rest of your life, especially if you are in your 20's. Even though we want to think that he should not be allowed to live, I honestly believe that he will be punished more by being incarcerated for the rest of his life. Kill him and it's over. No punishment, really. Just a short little needle prick. And we don't make our prisoners who are being executed "suffer". They make it as painless as possible. Nope, I think the next 60 or so years behind bars is good.
hope
1:39 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Police Chief Jeff Lance should be thanking God that Ryan Brunn confessed and this case didn’t go to trial. I’m sure the defense would have had a field day with his Mayberry Police Department.
Dave
3:22 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The guilty plea saves the county and state a lot of money. It also applies closure to all involved with the case. At least he got life in prison, he could be let free by some idiot jury.
Pam J
6:44 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
He's dead now, but I have a question for you. Have you ever been on a jury? I have and believe me, it's not easy having somebody else's life in your hands. It probably would have been pretty easy to find this guy guilty, but without solid proof you are going by faith alone, and that's not easy.
Karen
6:36 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Horrible story.poor girl...but you know god has a plan! /sarcasm
Pam J
6:41 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Well, the story ends. Ryan Brunn is dead.