PHOENIX — A man was found guilty on Tuesday of two murders that happened in Phoenix, Arizona nearly 30 years ago.
In a news release, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed that Bryan Patrick Miller was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of attempted sexual assault.
The guilty verdict came after a six-month trial, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said.
Miller was found guilty of killing Angela Brosso in Nov. 1992 just before her 22nd birthday and Melanie Bernas, 17, in Sept. 1993, according to KNXV.
Both Brosso and Bernas disappeared as they were riding their bikes along the Arizona Canal in north Phoenix, officials say, according to the news outlet. Investigators believe that Miller knocked Brosso off her bike before stabbing and dragging her off the trail. Brosso’s body was found decapitated by a bike trail, The Associated Press said.
Ten months later, Bernas’ body was found floating in the canal and her bike was missing, according to the AP.
DNA evidence that was collected from both crimes was able to determine that they were connected and linked to Miller. According to KNXV, Miller was arrested in Jan. 2015.
Miller reportedly denied any involvement but did say he lived in the area at the time of the murders and rode his bike on the paths, according to the AP.
“This verdict in the murders of Angela Brosso and Melanie Burnas took decades of work by law enforcement and prosecutors,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in the news release. “After more than two decades of anguish, the families of these women now have someone held accountable for their heinous murders.”
Information about Miller’s sentencing has not yet been released.
