Man charged with aggravated murder for North Royalton triple homicide
Brinkman arrested Tuesday after 10-hour standoff in Brunswick; to appear at Parma Muni on June 15
George Brinkman
NORTH ROYALTON – The man arrested after a standoff in Brunswick on June 13 has been charged with three counts of aggravated murder and kidnapping for the alleged triple homicide of a mother and her two adult daughters, discovered June 11 in North Royalton.
Police said similar charges were expected for the double homicide of a couple, found June 12 in North Canton, though those details weren't available at press time.
The arrest of George Brinkman, 45, came early Tuesday morning at the residence of an acquaintance on Valley Forge Drive in Brunswick where police, members of the SWAT team, the Southwest Enforcement Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were on the scene for approximately nine hours negotiating with Brinkman. The homeowner, a woman, was released unharmed, and Brinkman was eventually arrested and taken to the North Royalton jail.
The North Royalton murder victims are Suzanne Taylor, 45, and her two girls – Taylor Pifer, 21, and Kylie Pifer, 18 – who were found dead, lying next to one another face down, in a bedroom of their home at 11489 Ridge Road at around 8 p.m. June 11 by Taylor Pifer’s boyfriend.
Brinkman was to appear before the Parma Municipal Court on June 15, and the case will be bound over to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. This is a preliminary bond hearing so charges can be added and changed. Police said Brinkman also faces a tampering with evidence charge pertaining to disposing of a knife.
Suzanne Taylor’s boyfriend reportedly told dispatchers during the 911 call that Pifer’s boyfriend phoned him after entering the home and seeing a body in a closed bedroom. The mother’s boyfriend then reportedly dialed 911.
He stated in the call the daughter’s boyfriend said something was wrong before finding the body because the house was locked, all the cars were there and he didn’t hear the dog. Suzanne Taylor’s boyfriend also told dispatch he encountered a similar situation when he dropped off flowers Saturday, June 10, and no one answered the door despite all the cars being there, including Suzanne Taylor’s friend “George’s” car, at about 4:29 p.m. the day the women are believed to have been murdered, June 10. He told police he had last spoken to her at 3:08 p.m.
This could have been in reference to Brinkman. The girls were last confirmed alive around 3 p.m. that day, police said.
North Royalton Det. Dave Loeding said Brinkman was one of their persons of interest from the beginning. It appeared from the start the women were killed by someone they knew, as the home didn’t appear to have been forcefully entered or ransacked.
“Early in crime investigation, we heard about Brinkman. We heard him mentioned on the 911 and a neighbor said his unique van was there,” Loeding said.
Police have said the mother appears to have been wounded by a knife, but the daughters’ cause of death was less apparent as there were no visible signs of cause of death.
The details of Brinkman’s and the women’s relationship was not clear yet. Brinkman was friends with all three on Facebook and routinely liked and/or commented on photos. In one back and forth exchange between Suzanne Taylor and Brinkman, he appeared to be trying to convince her of her beauty.
Brinkman is also believed to be connected to the double homicide of North Canton victims Rogell Eugene John II, 71, and Roberta Ray John, 64, who were found in their Stark County home the evening of June 12. The cause of the couple’s death has yet to be released.
Brinkman knew the North Canton couple and was house sitting for them while they were on vacation and may have been a past boyfriend of their daughter, according to Stark County Sheriff’s officials during a press conference held June 13.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating as well.
Both North Royalton girls were graduates of North Royalton High School, Taylor in 2014 and Kylie in 2016.
A vigil is planned for them at 8:30 p.m. June 14 at the North Royalton High School.
Friends had taken to Facebook on Monday to share their condolences. One woman wrote that the family told her, “we ask for your prayers and any assistance you can give the police in catching who did this to our beloved beauties.”
Superintendent Greg Gurka issued a statement to the community via email. He said counselors would be made available to students and staff June 12-14.
“We mourn today, as a community, and extend our deepest sympathy to their family and friends,” he said. “Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”
The girls’ family was expected to receive friends June 15 at the A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home in Middleburg Heights, and their funeral services were planned for June 16 at Cuyahoga Valley Church in Broadview Heights. The interment is private.
For Suzanne Taylor, the family was to receive friends June 17 at A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home with a celebration of life ceremony to follow and a private interment.
This marks the second murder investigation for Royalton in 16 months’ time. On Feb. 16, 2016, Christal Shaver, 19, of Strongsville, was allegedly shot and killed by her boyfriend Jeffrey Greiner, now 26, who is still awaiting trial. Greiner’s public defender at the time of his indictment claimed Greiner was playing around with the gun in his Sunrise Cove condo and didn’t realize the weapon was loaded. He faces charges of murder, reckless homicide, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
Police said similar charges were expected for the double homicide of a couple, found June 12 in North Canton, though those details weren't available at press time.
The arrest of George Brinkman, 45, came early Tuesday morning at the residence of an acquaintance on Valley Forge Drive in Brunswick where police, members of the SWAT team, the Southwest Enforcement Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were on the scene for approximately nine hours negotiating with Brinkman. The homeowner, a woman, was released unharmed, and Brinkman was eventually arrested and taken to the North Royalton jail.
The North Royalton murder victims are Suzanne Taylor, 45, and her two girls – Taylor Pifer, 21, and Kylie Pifer, 18 – who were found dead, lying next to one another face down, in a bedroom of their home at 11489 Ridge Road at around 8 p.m. June 11 by Taylor Pifer’s boyfriend.
Brinkman was to appear before the Parma Municipal Court on June 15, and the case will be bound over to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. This is a preliminary bond hearing so charges can be added and changed. Police said Brinkman also faces a tampering with evidence charge pertaining to disposing of a knife.
Suzanne Taylor’s boyfriend reportedly told dispatchers during the 911 call that Pifer’s boyfriend phoned him after entering the home and seeing a body in a closed bedroom. The mother’s boyfriend then reportedly dialed 911.
He stated in the call the daughter’s boyfriend said something was wrong before finding the body because the house was locked, all the cars were there and he didn’t hear the dog. Suzanne Taylor’s boyfriend also told dispatch he encountered a similar situation when he dropped off flowers Saturday, June 10, and no one answered the door despite all the cars being there, including Suzanne Taylor’s friend “George’s” car, at about 4:29 p.m. the day the women are believed to have been murdered, June 10. He told police he had last spoken to her at 3:08 p.m.
This could have been in reference to Brinkman. The girls were last confirmed alive around 3 p.m. that day, police said.
North Royalton Det. Dave Loeding said Brinkman was one of their persons of interest from the beginning. It appeared from the start the women were killed by someone they knew, as the home didn’t appear to have been forcefully entered or ransacked.
“Early in crime investigation, we heard about Brinkman. We heard him mentioned on the 911 and a neighbor said his unique van was there,” Loeding said.
Police have said the mother appears to have been wounded by a knife, but the daughters’ cause of death was less apparent as there were no visible signs of cause of death.
The details of Brinkman’s and the women’s relationship was not clear yet. Brinkman was friends with all three on Facebook and routinely liked and/or commented on photos. In one back and forth exchange between Suzanne Taylor and Brinkman, he appeared to be trying to convince her of her beauty.
Brinkman is also believed to be connected to the double homicide of North Canton victims Rogell Eugene John II, 71, and Roberta Ray John, 64, who were found in their Stark County home the evening of June 12. The cause of the couple’s death has yet to be released.
Brinkman knew the North Canton couple and was house sitting for them while they were on vacation and may have been a past boyfriend of their daughter, according to Stark County Sheriff’s officials during a press conference held June 13.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating as well.
Both North Royalton girls were graduates of North Royalton High School, Taylor in 2014 and Kylie in 2016.
A vigil is planned for them at 8:30 p.m. June 14 at the North Royalton High School.
Friends had taken to Facebook on Monday to share their condolences. One woman wrote that the family told her, “we ask for your prayers and any assistance you can give the police in catching who did this to our beloved beauties.”
Superintendent Greg Gurka issued a statement to the community via email. He said counselors would be made available to students and staff June 12-14.
“We mourn today, as a community, and extend our deepest sympathy to their family and friends,” he said. “Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”
The girls’ family was expected to receive friends June 15 at the A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home in Middleburg Heights, and their funeral services were planned for June 16 at Cuyahoga Valley Church in Broadview Heights. The interment is private.
For Suzanne Taylor, the family was to receive friends June 17 at A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home with a celebration of life ceremony to follow and a private interment.
This marks the second murder investigation for Royalton in 16 months’ time. On Feb. 16, 2016, Christal Shaver, 19, of Strongsville, was allegedly shot and killed by her boyfriend Jeffrey Greiner, now 26, who is still awaiting trial. Greiner’s public defender at the time of his indictment claimed Greiner was playing around with the gun in his Sunrise Cove condo and didn’t realize the weapon was loaded. He faces charges of murder, reckless homicide, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.