A Louisiana man, aged 23, has been sentenced to a de facto life term for the brutal murder of his pregnant girlfriend and her 2-year-old son. Brynnen Murphy entered a guilty plea on Wednesday to two counts of manslaughter and one count of first-degree feticide, as announced by the authorities. Murphy was initially arrested in 2022 and faced charges of first-degree murder for the ruthless killings of Kaylen Johnson, 24, and her toddler son, Kaden Johnson. A grand jury later indicted him on second-degree murder charges, with his trial set to commence next week. However, a deal was struck with the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office.
The plea deal mandates Murphy to serve a 95-year sentence in a state correctional facility, effectively a life sentence, as reported by Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB. It is noteworthy that Kaden was not Murphy’s biological son, but Kaylen Johnson was carrying Murphy’s child at the time of her death.
Prosecutors were reportedly driven to negotiate a deal with Murphy to spare the victims’ family from the additional trauma of a trial, especially considering the gruesome nature of the case. The District Attorney, Hilla Moore, expressed her relief at the outcome of the plea hearing, stating that the graphic autopsy photographs and the pathologist’s description of the deaths and disposal of the bodies would have been excruciating for the family to endure.
Moore also expressed her belief that the sentence delivered justice for the victims, as reported by The Advocate. She emphasized that the primary objective was to ensure justice for the family and to spare them the ordeal of a trial and testifying in court. She expressed confidence that the sentence was indeed adequate.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, the mother and son were last seen alive on March 5, 2022. The family’s fears escalated when they were unable to reach Johnson for nearly a week, leading them to report her and Kaden missing. A wellness check was conducted at Johnson’s home on March 11, 2022, but no signs of foul play were detected. However, Johnson’s disconnected cellphone and her abandoned car with removed license plates raised alarm.
Murphy, who was initially uncooperative, eventually turned himself in. Upon his arrest, he confessed to both murders. He revealed that he shot Johnson in the head twice after an argument on March 5, 2022, while Kaden was strapped in a car seat in the back. He then disposed of Johnson’s body in a roadside drainage ditch. With Kaden still in the car, Murphy drove to a 30-foot elevated bridge on Central Thruway and threw the toddler over the side. However, the fall did not seriously injure the child. The Assistant District Attorney, Jaclyn Christie Chapman, stated during the plea hearing that Kaden died as a result of starvation and exposure to the elements over a sustained period.