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Brianna Ghey, a transgender girl, was fatally stabbed 28 times on February 11, 2023, in Linear Park, Warrington. A girl and a boy, who were 15 at the time and hailed from the local area, were arrested and charged with Brianna's murder.
Brianna Ghey's mother, Esther, along with her sister Alisha and father, Peter Spooner, arrived at Manchester Crown Court for the commencement of the trial on Monday, November 27, 2023. During the trial, the court heard that the two teens were "preoccupied with violence" and provided pills to Brianna a day before the murder.
Before the verdict is revealed, here are five crucial details about the incident that we need to be aware of.
5 facts from the Brianna Ghey murder case
1) The defendants referred to Brianna as "it"
The premeditated murder of Brianna Ghey unfolded as a result of a sinister plan. The court identified the girl as X and the boy as Y to protect their identities due to their age. The duo meticulously outlined a list of five individuals they aimed to eliminate. When their initial target grew suspicious, the perpetrators shifted their focus to Brianna, a subject of obsession for girl X.
In conversations, the boy callously referred to Brianna as "it," contemplating the method of poisoning her with prescription medication, according to statements by prosecutor Deanna Heer KC.
2) Brianna Ghey was found in Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington, Cheshire
Reportedly, the accused girl planned to bring Brianna with her. However, Brianna couldn't attend the scheduled meeting, leading the duo to persist in formulating their plans.
"I want to stab her at least once even if she's dead jus coz it's fun lol," girl X allegedly wrote to boy Y.
A fortnight later, on February 11, 2023, a dog walker discovered Brianna in a critical condition, lying on the ground in Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington, Cheshire. Two teenagers were reportedly seen fleeing the scene. Brianna had sustained 28 stab wounds to her head, neck, back, and chest, resulting in a severed jugular vein and catastrophic blood loss.
3) The identities of the accused are still hidden
Due to their age, both accused individuals are protected by a court order. They are referred to only as girl X from Warrington and boy Y from Leigh, Greater Manchester. Currently, they are being held in secure youth accommodation.
According to the Manchester Crown Court, the accused exchanged disturbing text messages leading up to Brianna Ghey's death, initially centered around Y's romantic interest in X's friend, A.
However, as the conversations progressed, they took a dark turn, becoming fixated on themes of violence, torture, and death, as highlighted by prosecutor Deanna Heer KC. Allegedly, the teenagers actively "encouraged each other to contemplate the practical aspects of carrying out a killing."
4) Revelation of the plan in the court
In a pre-trial hearing on July 20, 2023, one of the suspects entered a plea of not guilty. A further pre-trial hearing took place on October 4, 2023, during which the other suspect pleaded not guilty.
"The messages show how they planned together to kill Brianna Ghey in just the way she was killed," the Manchester Crown Court noted.
In November 2022, the teens reportedly discussed killing a child referred to as boy M, the court said. In one message, girl X allegedly said:
"If I do end up killing boy M, I have a really sharp blade, the same one that Sweeney Todd uses."
In December, Deanna Heer KC informed the court that girl X had sent boy Y a video, purportedly an advertisement for an underground website catering to individuals interested in explicit and violent content related to r*pe, s***f, torture, and murder. According to the jury, girl X loved watching torture videos.
On January 1, boy Y sent girl X a photo of a hunting knife. Ms. Heer revealed that this was the same knife used in Brianna Ghey's murder six weeks later. In December 2022, girl X messaged boy Y, expressing an obsession with someone named Brianna but denying any romantic feelings for the teenager.
Deanna Heer KC said that the two individuals also discussed targeting other people for harm, compiling a list that included at least four individuals, alongside Brianna, by January 26, 2023.
5) The accused were reportedly fans of serial killers
The proceedings at Manchester Crown Court discussed messages exchanged between the defendants. Additionally, the jury heard that notes about serial killers such as Harold Shipman and Jeffrey Dahmer were allegedly found in girl X’s bedroom.
In Y’s bedroom, investigators found blood-stained trainers, a jacket, and a knife with “blood and human tissue” on the hilt, which belonged to Brianna. They also found notes about the plan to kill Brianna and others, which said:
“Give them alcohol with sleeping pills, slit throat, dismember body, place pieces in bin bags.”
Prosecutor Deanna Heer informed the court that girl X “seemed” to be “intrigued” by Brianna. In messages from December 2022, she is alleged to have said,
“I’m obsessed over someone I know but don’t have feelings for them.”
However, Ms. Heer said that girl X’s fascination with Brianna had taken a darker turn because she was “different.”
Netizens react to Brianna Ghey's murder
Upon hearing the gruesome murder of Brianna Ghey, netizens flooded X (formerly Twitter) with their opinions. Some have even started questioning their safety as well as their children's safety. Here are some reactions:
In June 2023, it was announced that the trial would begin on November 27, 2023. During a pre-trial hearing on July 20, 2023, one of the suspects pleaded not guilty. On October 4, 2023, a second pre-trial hearing was held, and the other suspect entered a not-guilty plea. It is predicted that the trial will last for approximately three weeks.
