Latest news with #HoustonCountyDistrictAttorney'sOffice
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
Former UK police officer found guilty in brutal killing of wife who uncovered his double life
An ex-police officer from England has been found guilty of murdering his wife in Georgia after she discovered his affair, an exposure that reportedly threatened to reveal his fraudulent immigration status. Brian McManus, 57, a former officer with the London police and originally from the UK, was found guilty of killing his 63-year-old wife, Lucille Ann McManus, in 2023. The Houston County District Attorney's Office confirmed the conviction in a Facebook statement this week. Authorities emphasized that Brian McManus attempted to conceal his crime, shift blame onto the victim's family, and avoid punishment, but fell short. "McManus tried to cover the murder up, pin it on the victim's family, and walk away without consequence. He failed," the DA's office wrote in a statement. "Because of the work of the Warner Robins Police Department, forensic experts, and Houston County Asst. DAs Justin Duane and Lauren Fletcher, the truth won out." Daughter Of Irish Man Beaten To Death By American Wife, Her Ex-fbi Agent Father Rejects Self-defense Claims The case began on November 24, 2023, when officers responded to what was initially reported as a suicide at the couple's residence in Warner Robins, Georgia. Upon arrival, police found Lucille's body on a bed with a head wound, according to the Warner Robins Police Department. She was reportedly found unclothed, according to FOX 5. Read On The Fox News App Prosecutors allege Brian McManus struck his wife with an object as she exited the shower, strangled her, then cleaned up and walked the dog. Brian McManus, who reportedly made the 911 call, claimed he returned home from walking his dog to find his wife dead, according to the outlet. However, during the trial, prosecutors noted that he gave conflicting statements and showed no concern for his wife, only distress about being viewed as the prime suspect. Barry Morphew Seen For First Time After Jail Booking, Maintains Innocence In Wife's Death The outlet reported that he even attempted to blame the murder on the victim's granddaughter and her boyfriend, who they lived with, but cell phone data disproved their presence. Security footage also captured him near a drainage ditch where police found a rubber mallet and cell phone. Investigators also discovered that the couple met on the popular dating app, Tinder, and were married within three months, per FOX 5. McManus had previously worked for the London police but was dismissed after several women accused him of sexually threatening behavior. According to the outlet, his first marriage ended after he was arrested for domestic violence. Authorities said Brian McManus was involved with another woman in Florida and that his wife discovered the affair when he accidentally sent her a message intended for his mistress. She then threatened to expose their alleged "sham" marriage, according to prosecutors. Alex Murdaugh's Defense Attorney Explains Why He Thinks The Disgraced Lawyer Is Innocent, Will Get A New Trial Several witnesses alleged that the marriage was arranged primarily to help Brian McManus obtain a U.S. green card, according to reports. "Miss Ann was a lonely woman, and the defendant used that to his advantage. He used her to abuse our immigration system and then, when he got caught, brutally killed her," Assistant District Attorney Ada Duane said. "No one deserves to die like that. McManus is a serial liar and con man who attempted to hide the fact that he murdered his wife by tampering with evidence and blaming others. He is a textbook narcissist who thinks he is the smartest man in the room. I am glad that the jury saw him for what he was – a monster – and grateful that the victim's family finally has some answers." "This was a brutal and calculated murder carried out by an evil sociopath who views the women in his life as disposable," District Attorney Eric Z. Edwards said. "Brian McManus was not only willing to exploit our immigration system and manipulate a vulnerable woman into a sham marriage—he was willing to kill her when she became inconvenient. And then he tried to cover it up, pin it on her family, and walk away without consequence. He failed." Officials said as their community undertakes a renewed effort to prevent family violence-related homicides, this case serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the lives at risk. "As our community launches a renewed initiative to prevent family violence homicides, this case is a gut-wrenching reminder of what's at stake. This office will never hesitate to bring the full weight of the law down on abusers who mistake silence for weakness," the DA's office said. A spokesperson for Tinder told Fox News Digital that they can't comment on any individual's account, but said that the safety of their members is their highest priority. "If a user contacts us to report a crime or unsafe incident—whether it occurred on the app or following a match, we take the matter extremely seriously and follow a structured, trauma-informed response protocol," the company said. The company added that they also have a dedicated law enforcement portal, the first of its kind in the industry, which allows "qualified law enforcement agencies to securely request information related to ongoing investigations." "We stand ready to assist investigations by providing relevant data in compliance with applicable laws and privacy protocols," the company said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Houston County District Attorney's Office, but did not immediately receive a article source: Former UK police officer found guilty in brutal killing of wife who uncovered his double life
International Business Times
17-07-2025
- International Business Times
British Man Who Married American Woman for Green Card, Then Killed Her and Staged Her Death as Suicide, Sentenced to Life
A former cop from London, England, will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted last week of killing his American wife in Georgia, with prosecutors saying he "bludgeoned" her to death with a rubber mallet and then staged it to look like a suicide so he wouldn't lose his green card. Brian McManus, 57, was convicted on Saturday for killing his wife, Lucille McManus, in November 2023 in the city of Warner Robins, which is about 100 miles south of Atlanta. McManus Claimed His Wife Shot Herself but 'No Gun or Shell Casings Were Found at the Scene' According to court documents, McManus attempted to cover up the murder by claiming Lucille McManus shot herself, even though "no gun or shell casings were found at the scene," according to the Houston County District Attorney's Office, which announced McManus' conviction on Facebook Wednesday. "McManus tried to cover the murder up, pin it on the victim's family, and walk away without consequence," the DA's office said in a post. "He failed. Because of the work of the Warner Robins Police Department, forensic experts, and Houston County Asst. DAs Justin Duane and Lauren Fletcher, the truth won out." McManus Killed Lucille to Prevent Her from Telling the Government Their Marriage was a Sham McManus was convicted by a Houston County jury after a six-day trial. There was a mountain of evidence against him that prosecutors presented in various filings over the past year and a half. The evidence included security footage that showed McManus taking his dog for a walk on the day he claimed to find his wife dead while carrying a bag containing what police believed was the rubber mallet used to bludgeon Lucille McManus to death. The footage showed him walking along a path where the mallet was recovered, and then returning home without the bag. Prosecutors accused McManus of killing his wife for multiple reasons, including to prevent her from telling the government that their marriage had been arranged to get him a Green Card, which would've resulted in his deportation. Multiple witnesses corroborated this at trial and testified that the pair wed just months after meeting on Tinder. McManus Had a Secret Girlfriend in Florida, Planned to Run Off with Her After the Murder McManus also reportedly had a secret girlfriend in Florida whom he had planned to run off with after the slaying. Officers with the Warner Robins Police Department were dispatched to 202 Wake Forest Dr. at around 9 a.m. that morning after McManus called 911 and claimed he had found his wife dead. "Mr. McManus reported that he found the victim deceased by what he advised was an obvious self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," prosecutors alleged in a November 2023 warrant application. Investigators later determined that Lucille was not shot but rather struck multiple times on her head. McManus also gave inconsistent time frames of events and statements to officers and had visible scratches on his right arm. "As part of law enforcement's investigation, law enforcement learned that the defendant stashed a large sum of money in his vehicle either before or immediately after the murder," prosecutors said in the March 17 filing. "At one point during the investigation and prior to the defendant's arrest, the defendant attempted to retrieve his vehicle from the incident location. Luckily, law enforcement seized the vehicle and did not let him drive away in the vehicle. The State believes that if the defendant had been able to retrieve his vehicle that day, he would have fled with the cash." McManus Previously Married Another Woman Who Divorced Him Following a Domestic Violence Incident This was not the first American marriage that failed for the British killer. Before moving to Warner Robins, McManus was married to a woman in Idaho, who divorced him after an alleged domestic violence incident. On Wednesday afternoon, Brian McManus was sentenced to life in prison. A sigh of relief sounded out in the courtroom as the sentence was read. Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards said this was a step in the right direction toward ending family violence in Houston County. "Showing the public what this office is gonna stand for in terms of standing up for victims of family violence," he said.
