Chapter 34
When Biela’s first round of appeals began, reports of the claims being made in his opening brief were widely reported in the media and promptly began to generate outrage. Readers of the
Reno Gazette-Journal
were furious, and the letters, e-mail comments, and website postings began to pour in to the newspaper and its online forum.
This creep has been convicted fairly and is seeking reversal of those convictions based solely on technicalities, not because of innocence,
said the first reader to comment, adding that Biela needed to remain on death row until his sentence was carried out.
Prayers with all the families,
it concluded.
The next person to weigh in was listed as a “top commenter,” and he had evidently read a detailed account of the content of the opening brief. This reader was disturbed by the phrasing of one item in particular. His well-written, thoughtful online post stated:
There is nothing “ordinary” or “run-of-the-mill” when it comes to first-degree murder. If we, as a society, have become so inured to violence that we can accept that concept, then our own demise is not far behind.
Biela might somehow manage to escape the death penalty, the writer continued, but to overturn his conviction would be unconscionable.
Another commenter said that she thought Biela was a murderer of the absolute worst kind, and she expressed the hope that the court would not let him continue to pollute the air that she breathed.
A UNR student commented,
We are fortunate this thug is off the streets. Whether he rots in the Ely prison or is executed is irrelevant to me, though I think a lifetime behind bars is the harsher punishment.
What was important, the writer said, was that the community was rid of Biela.
Now he wants a new trial, not because he isn’t guilty, but because he said he should be tried separately for each crime. What difference does it make if you are found guilty five times in five trials or five times in one trial, except it would cost the taxpayers more? Stick a needle in his arm and be done with it,
another Reno resident shared.
There was great interest in Biela’s appeal process far beyond the Reno area, too, with one comment from a Montana reader, who said Biela should be given no more compassion than he gave his victims:
Needle or rot in prison, either or. Just as long as he never gets out to hurt anyone else. Keep in mind, he raped more than one person. Unfortunately, he took the life of his last victim! Thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.
A student at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) in Reno agreed:
That was not a one-time deal. He is a recidivist and should be considered a danger to society and to women in particular.
Another top commenter posed the theory that Biela had evidently decided prison wasn’t all that bad:
He’s segregated, so he doesn’t have to live in fear, eats good, gets medical care, and pretty much will spend the rest of his life laying on his ass watching TV . . . but this appeal shows he’s terrified of the needle.
The TMCC student posted again, asking why the public was still wasting money on Biela:
He wants a new trial? What chance did he give Brianna? I don’t want my tax money going to feed him, clothe him and giving him medical treatment.
She went on to say that she was working two jobs, still couldn’t afford medical insurance, and Biela was getting everything for free. Regarding his execution, she wrote,
Get it done and over with, and stop wasting taxpayers’ money.
While the community expressed its opinion on Biela’s first round of appeals, the Bring Bri Justice Foundation had been using every possible opportunity to address legislators and other groups and organizations about the DNA testing they felt was so essential for all those arrested for felonies, not just those who were convicted. Foundation members spoke to lawmakers at committee meetings, forums, and every other gathering they could attend, giving detailed information and statistics on DNA—and especially on the crimes that could have been prevented if Biela’s DNA had been in the system after his assault charges involving Angi Carlomagno and her neighbor.
A preliminary law that the foundation had researched and was referring to as Brianna’s Law was drawn up and presented to legislators. It read as follows:
Adapted from Assembly Bill 234 of the 2009 Nevada Legislature and SB09-241 of the Colorado State Legislature:
This law would require that a biological specimen be obtained if a person is arrested for a felony. It would provide that if the person is convicted of the felony, the specimen must be kept. If it is determined that this person already has a specimen on file with the central repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History, another specimen does not need to be obtained. If the person is acquitted or the criminal charges against him are dismissed, the forensic laboratory testing the biological specimen, the law enforcement agency collecting the biological specimen and the central repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History shall destroy the specimen and all records related thereto, including those held with the federal combined DNA index system, only upon the specific written request of the person the specimen was taken from.
Funding for this law will come from several, as of yet undetermined, mechanisms that may include: additional fees for violation of public safety laws, increases in “sin” taxes or other applicable taxes, federal grants, and private donations. Once a secure and recurring funding source has been identified, said funds will be deposited in the “Genetic Marker testing fund” and specifically used to counteract the funding needs of this law.
There was support building among lawmakers for DNA testing following arrests, and the foundation’s efforts were consistently met with sincere consideration and appreciation for the dedication of the organization. Hopefully, the passage of Brianna’s Law, or an equally workable version of it, would be a reality in Nevada, as well as in other states in the near future.
Chapter 35
The Bring Bri Justice Foundation was primarily focused on its work regarding DNA testing, but it was also doing a great deal more than lobbying legislators for the passage of Brianna’s Law, following Biela’s conviction and sentencing. While his appeal attorneys were busy filing motions and writing his opening brief, the foundation had been hard at work on a great many other projects: fund-raisers, assisting in missing persons searches, and donations to other organizations with similar goals and objectives.
On behalf of the foundation, a motorcycle run and women’s safety fair was held at Reno Harley-Davidson, which sponsored the event, with the help of the Crusaders Motorcycle Club and Miller Brewing. Thanks to the cosponsors and their loyal following, and the many supporters of the foundation, the event drew a large crowd and was very successful.
Summit Racing hosted a raffle for a large toolbox, with all the proceeds from the $5 tickets going to the foundation. The well-planned advertising for the raffle offered this invitation to the public:
Stop by and make sure you don’t miss out on your opportunity to help out this great charity and maybe win yourself an amazing toolbox!
Clearly, there was outstanding support for the foundation from all aspects of the community: citizens, businesses, law enforcement, and educational institutions. All worked to make the foundation’s efforts a success and to keep Brianna’s memory alive.
One of the finest achievements of the foundation, aside from its unending efforts to bring about the passage of a version of Brianna’s Law, was its contribution to the purchase of three new passenger vans for the Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) Campus Escort Service, in collaboration with the University Parents Fund, the Stern Family Fund, and Carson Dodge Chrysler Jeep. Additional support was provided by ASUN and the Graduate Student Association.
The vans were a part of a free service that provided prompt safety escorts and rides to more than thirty thousand students, faculty, staff, and visitors each year. During semesters the escort service was offered seven days a week, from 7:00
P.M.
to 1:00
A.M.
, with the service closed during school breaks and holidays. Rides were offered within a two-mile radius of campus, and either the starting point or ending point of the ride had to be a property or recognized unit of the university, including its fraternity and sorority houses.
Brianna’s aunt Lauren said that the Bring Bri Justice Foundation had become involved in the program because it coincided so well with the foundation’s commitment to the safety of all women and children in Nevada.
“The fact that you can call and be escorted to your car ensures your chances of getting to your vehicle safely,” Lauren told the media. “We thought it was a very worthy program.”
The utilization of such an escort service could have conceivably made a difference in preventing the assaults on Amanda Collins and Virgie Chin.
One of the most worthwhile efforts of the foundation came with its dedication to aiding in the search for missing persons and in publicizing those searches to engage the volunteer efforts and financial support of the community.
One good example of this service to missing persons and their families came when the foundation received approval from the Reno Police Department to organize a series of community searches for a young girl, sixteen-year-old Karamjit Kaur, of Stead, Nevada. The foundation immediately launched a call for volunteers to participate in the searches; and for those who were not able to take part in the searches physically, the foundation asked for donations of water, granola bars, and other snacks for the searchers.
This was only one of many such search efforts aided by the foundation, and many other people from other parts of the country contacted them for the information packets the foundation put together on how to organize, search, publicize, and work with law enforcement and the media in the event of a missing persons situation.
Through the efforts of Brianna’s family, friends, and scores of total strangers who had come to love “Reno’s Daughter,” her legacy was growing stronger every day.
Chapter 36
Several touching tributes to Brianna Denison were included on the Bring Bri Justice Foundation’s website. Links were posted to two songs that had been written about Brianna: One composition was by Louis Bonaldi, who played piano on the recording of the song. Vocals were provided by Tim Snider, Rodney Branigan, and Trevor Gilmer. The song was recorded at Tanglewood Productions in Reno. The song’s title was “Bring Back Bri,” and it was played often at events sponsored by the foundation.
The other song, “Not Time to Say Good-bye,” was written and produced as a touching tribute by Brianna’s brother, Brighton Denison, with his collaborator, close family friend Danielle DeTomaso. Along with the link to download the song is their statement,
They want the world to hear it!
Also on the foundation’s website is an obituary tribute to Brianna. It tells of her outgoing nature and compassion, her love for traveling, and her ability to connect with people from all walks of life. The merits of being a loving, spiritual, respectful, and trusting human being had been instilled in her at an early age by her family and friends, the tribute said, and she had been raised in the tradition of honoring children as our most precious possessions. When Brianna and Brighton had been born, their parents had considered them to be the greatest gifts of their lives.
Brianna was survived by her mother, Bridgette Zunino-Denison; her brother, Brighton Denison; her maternal grandparents, Bob and Barbara Zunino, of Mendocino; her maternal uncle John Zunino; and her cousin Ashley Zunino.
She also left behind her paternal grandmother, Carol “Fifi” Pierce; her aunts Lauren Denison and Rena Denison Terry; her uncles Mark Denison and Steve Terry, along with thirteen cousins and many other extended family members throughout Nevada and California.
There were also hundreds of thousands of others who had come to love Brianna and think of her as their own; the law enforcement and judicial communities throughout Reno, the state of Nevada, and countless numbers of other people throughout the nation and in other countries who had heard Brianna’s story and had seen her beautiful, smiling face in newspapers and magazines, on television, and on the Internet. After her death, Brianna had brought people from all walks of life together, just as she had in life.
On the website of the Bring Bri Justice Foundation, one of the pages, Safety Tips for Women, offers some excellent advice for self-protection. Much of it can be found on other similar sites, but in this case, the tips are geared toward young women and to arm them with the information they need to provide protection specifically against the kind of attacks Biela’s victims were subjected to. The advice is well worth presenting here, in the hope that it might prevent an assault or even save a life.
Women are advised, first and foremost, to trust their instincts and if something or someone doesn’t strike them as being safe, they should leave the situation as quickly as possible or get help immediately.
Be aware of your surroundings,
the site says, telling women not to talk on their cell phones or use their iPods while they are walking, particularly at night.
Know where you are going and what’s going on around you.
Clothing is also a major safety consideration, and women are advised not to wear provocative clothing or, at least, to cover up revealing outfits. Hoodies or other similar shirts or jackets with hoods are also a no-no; they can be pulled over a victim’s eyes and face during an attack. Also to be avoided are high heels, or any other type of shoes that could slow a fleeing victim down. Being able to run could mean the difference in being snatched or getting away safely.
The site recommends using confident body language: head up, arms swinging, and walking briskly with an air of being in command. But despite the display of confident bearing:
Lock your doors. Have your keys ready in your hand when walking to your car. Once you get into your car, lock the doors immediately and drive away. When you get home, make sure your doors are locked once you get inside.
It’s important to have a plan in case of attack, the site advises. Women should know in the back of their minds what they would do if they were attacked. If the attacker wanted his victim’s purse, the site states,
Don’t hand it to him, throw it to the side and run.
Another point of advice given on the site is for women not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Wrong places include parking garages when alone, alleyways, and isolated streets; wrong times are any time when the areas are dimly lit, or at night. When walking, the site advises, walk in groups, and don’t drive alone when traveling into bad neighborhoods or in unfamiliar areas.
One of the best deterrents against attack is noise; scream as loudly as possible for help, and run away screaming for help if you are able to flee.
The most important item on the list is this: If you are the victim of an attack, don’t be afraid to come forward. By doing so, you might save another woman’s life.
The Brianna Denison Foundation is to be commended for producing the list of safety tips as a part of the vast amounts of materials and resources they have made available to the public. Their goal in establishing the foundation, according to Lauren Denison, was to find a way to carry Brianna’s name forward and not let her die in vain.
With all the good that Brianna’s family and friends have already done, and that they will undoubtedly continue to do, they have made the most effective and lasting tribute to their beloved Bri that they could have possibly accomplished.