Va. man pleads guilty to killing his landlord and hiding her body in the woods
08/22/2023 5:45 pm PDT
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (TCD) -- A man pleaded guilty this week to killing his missing landlord in 2021 and burying her body in the woods.
NBC Washington reports Brian Sayrs entered the plea Monday, Aug. 21, for second-degree murder and concealing a body in connection with the death of 72-year-old Emily Lu. He could face up to 45 years in prison.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descanso released a statement following the plea, which said, "Two summers ago, Lorton resident Emily Lu disappeared and wasn’t found for over 50 days, after a weeks-long search that devastated our community. To this day, we still don’t know exactly how she was killed, but we know that the individual who was responsible will face accountability for his actions."
He continued, "I hope today’s guilty verdict provides a measure of healing for her family and loved ones."
On June 4, 2021, Fairfax County Police officers were called to Lu’s home on the 9200 block of Davis Lane to conduct a welfare check because her employer said she had not shown up for work. Police located Lu’s car in her driveway, which still had groceries from a nearby store inside. She was last seen at Aldi on June 3 at about 7:52 p.m.
Major Crimes Unit detectives began investigating and found "evidence suggesting she may have been harmed" inside her home.
Police searched for Lu for almost two months. On July 15, 2021, police announced they were investigating a potential person of interest, who was later identified as Brian Sayrs. Lu’s body was found several days later in a wooded area of Lorton. Fairfax County Police arrested Sayrs and said he was a tenant in Lu’s home when she went missing.
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