Judges read verdict after George Brinkman pleads guilty again for murders

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A confessed killer has pleaded guilty for the second time to murdering a mother and her two daughters.

Five years after their violent deaths, a three-judge panel has decided George Brinkman’s fate: guilty.

This comes after the Ohio Supreme Court threw out Brinkman’s conviction and death sentence in the case after a mistake by a trial judge.

Victims’ family members have been waiting for more than a year to resolve this case again.

“I’m very happy they found him guilty, I mean he definitely is guilty. And he deserves any penalty he gets,” said the victim’s brother, Ken Taylor.

Brinkman confessed to killing Suzanne Taylor and her college-age daughters Taylor and Kylie Pifer in their North Royalton home back in 2017.

He also confessed to killing Stark County couple Gene and Bobbi John during his two-day crime spree.

Brinkman was friends with his victims.

Since it’s a death penalty case, three judges heard the evidence against him all over again.

Several witnesses took the stand over two days last week, including Suzanne’s ex-boyfriend, a deputy medical examiner, a local detective and the FBI agent who got him to confess.

Brinkman’s defense team asked the judges to have mercy and withdraw the death penalty, but that motion was denied.

“It’s brutal. It’s hard enough the first time, but the second time, it’s really hard and it just seems like it’s going to keep dragging out you know,” Ken Taylor said.

Monday, the judges said they would likely set a sentencing date for April or May since the defense team is compiling some information for the judges. They asked if this was okay with Brinkman, or if he would like to be sentenced sooner.

“I’ll wait your honor,” Brinkman replied.

Family members were noticeably upset over the possible long wait for sentencing.

An execution date of September 2026 was recently set for Brinkman in the Stark County double murder case.

But that remains on hold after his stay of execution was granted.

Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved.