New trial date set for confessed killer George Brinkman after mistake led to tossed conviction

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A judge set another trial date Tuesday for confessed killer George Brinkman.

Brinkman was found guilty for killing five people in two attacks.

But his conviction and death sentence in one of those cases has been up in the air for the last year.

And the victims’ family is still in limbo, but is now closer to getting answers.

Brinkman appeared before a judge remotely Tuesday, five years and two months after he confessed to killing his own friends.

A North Royalton mom and her daughters, Suzanne Taylor and Taylor and Kylie Pifer, were the first victims.

Stark County couple Gene and Bobbi John were the next victims.

Brinkman is getting another chance after winning an appeal last summer.

The Ohio Supreme Court threw out Brinkman’s conviction and death sentence in the North Royalton case, saying during the 2018 trial, the judge failed to advise him of his rights before he pleaded guilty.

Now, the victims’ family is suffering all over again.

Taylor and Kylie’s dad watched the hearing remotely.

We spoke with Suzanne’s brother Ken Taylor, who was in the courtroom.

We recently checked in with him as he marked five years since losing his family members.

On Tuesday, we asked him how important it has been for him to show up at the hearings.

“It’s very important. I mean my family had nobody left to really stick up for them and I want justice for them, you know,” Taylor said.

Court dates have been canceled and rescheduled since last summer, for Covid-19 and other reasons.

Brinkman waived his right to a speedy trial Tuesday, and his defense team continued to ask the judge for more time before setting the trial date.

But the judge questioned the reason for the delay and set the trial date for January.

Ken Taylor is happy a date is finally set, but he can’t believe he may have to face another excruciating trial.

“Really actually pretty crazy. I mean you think everything’s done and over with and here we are going through it again. And it’s been since last July it was overturned, and you just want it to be resolved and get justice, you know, the same justice that was handed out the first time, you know the death penalty. He deserves it,” he said.

Brinkman will face a judge next on December 19.

The trial has been set for January 11, 2023.

It’s possible Brinkman will take a plea before making it to trial next January.

If he does, he will have to do so in front of a panel of three judges, since it’s a death penalty case.

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