Virginia trio faces more than 80 charges in corpse defilement, murder investigation
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - An investigation into the grisly discovery of a corpse found on a Spotsylvania County property has led to more than 80 charges.
Over the winter, the Spotsylvania County sheriff’s office arrested three people in connection with the gruesome murder of 20-year-old Dylan Whetzel of Stafford.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 more charged, 1 cleared in Spotsylvania County corpse defilement investigation
In June, Domonic Samuels, Brennan Thomas and Bronwyn Meeks were indicted by a special grand jury on a host of charges, including first-degree murder, murder by mob, physically defiling a human body and conspiracy – 85 in all.
The investigation began when the sheriff’s office was notified of a suspicious vehicle on someone’s property.
After they recommended that the vehicle be towed, a caller reported that a dead body may be located in the same wooded area off of Pamunkey and Finney roads in the western part of the county.
Shortly after Whetzel’s body was found, detectives arrested Thomas, charging him with defilement of a dead human body, conspiracy to defile a dead human body, concealment of a dead body, conspiracy to conceal a dead body, conceal or compound evidence and conspiracy to conceal or compound evidence.
A little over a week later, they arrested Meeks and Samuels on the same charges.
In the interim, they ruled out a fourth suspect, dropping the charges against him.
In February, investigators said a lack of cooperation from the suspects slowed their investigation.
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The sheriff’s office posted the list of charges all three had been indicted on June 21.
The sheriff’s office has not indicated what might have led to the murder, or what might have motivated the other crimes the trio has been indicted for.
Domonic M. Samuels
- 1 Count of First Degree Murder
- 1 Count of Murder by Mob
- 1 Count of Abduction
- 1 Count of Strangulation
- 1 Count of Concealing a dead body
- 1 Count of Physically Defiling a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Abduction
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Conceal a dead body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to defile a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 3 Counts of Using a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
- 12 Counts of Shooting During the Commission of a Felony
Brennan E. Thomas
- 1 Count of First Degree Murder
- 1 Count of Murder by Mob
- 1 Count of Abduction
- 1 Count of Strangulation
- 1 Count of Concealing a dead body
- 1 Count of Physically Defiling a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Abduction
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Conceal a dead body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to defile a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 3 Counts of Using a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
- 12 Counts of Shooting During the Commission of a Felony
Bronwyn C. Meeks
- 1 Count of First Degree Murder
- 1 Count of Murder by Mob
- 1 Count of Abduction
- 1 Count of Strangulation
- 1 Count of Concealing a dead body
- 1 Count of Physically Defiling a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Commit Abduction
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Conceal a dead body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to defile a Dead Human Body
- 1 Count of Conspiracy to Concealing, Altering, Dismembering, or Destroying Physical Evidence to hinder a Homicide Investigation
- 3 Counts of Using a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
- 12 Counts of Shooting During the Commission of a Felony
- 4 Counts of Soliciting other to act as accessories after the fact to Murder