Man Arrested in Brianna Denison Murder Case
A 27-year-old Sparks, Nevada man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, murder and sexual assault in the case of Brianna Denison. The arrest of James Michael Biela ends a 10-month investigation into the death of the 19-year-old college student who disappeared while sleeping on a friend's sofa in January.Police said the break in the case came via a tip through the Secret Witness program.
The tip from the witness led investigators to match a DNA sample from Biela's 4-year-old daughter to DNA in the Denison case and others.
Biela (pictured above) was arrested Tuesday night and a DNA sample was taken from him. Denison's family members told reporters today that Biela's DNA matched that found at the scene where Denison's body was found.
Sources said Biela was a pipe fitter who worked on construction projects at the University of Nevada Reno at the time of the sexual assaults. Family members said Biela was dishonorably discharged from the Marines.
During the investigation, authorities said that DNA evidence found in the Denison case linked her killer to at least two other sexual attacks on women near the university from October to December 2007.
Disappeared in the Middle of the Night
On Jan. 19, 2008, Santa Barbara City College student Brianna Denison (left) was home in Reno, Nevada, on winter break and went out partying with friends Saturday night. She spent the night on their couch. When Denison's friends woke the next morning she had disappeared, leaving her personal items behind.
She was last seen around 4 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. She slept on a couch near an unlocked glass door using a two-foot teddy bear as an extra pillow. The next morning, she and the teddy bear was gone, but her clothes, purse and cell phone were still there.
After a massive search, her body was found Feb. 15 in a field in south Reno.
See Also:
Reno Cops Identify Suspect in Student Killing Case
Background:
The Brianna Denison Case
Forum:
Discuss The Denison Case
Photos: Mug Shot, Family Photo
Comments
Why don’t we take DNA from our Servicemen and women for record? How do we identify the dead among our service persons? So many people come out of the armed services with aggressiong, and rage that causes them to black out and let the rage take over. My father was one of them. Drafted to Vietnam, came home with so many nightmares nd memories,,,,,drowned himself in a bottle and his rage came out night after night and he never remembered it in the morning. Why aren’t we taking better precautions. If we train people to be killers, shouldn’t we at least have their DNA?
It figures. A construction worker. It seems most things in that cesspool known as Reno revolve around the construction business, including the politicians. Most violent crimes are committed by construction workers.