Statements accused killer made to police unsealed
E/C Annie
Late Thursday afternoon NEWS 10NBC obtained court papers in the case
against accused murderer Cyril Winebrenner. The documents contain
detailed statements that Winebrenner made to police following the death
of his half-sister, Tabatha Bryant.
Tabatha's husband Kevin Bryant was convicted of second-degree murder
for planning the killing.
NEWS 10NBC obtained the statements after the Monroe County Court ruled
they can be used as evidence in his upcoming trial.
In the statements the 22-year-old paints a picture of a husband
desperate to kill his wife, and takes full responsibility for his role
in killing his half-sister.
Just eight hours after Tabatha Bryant's body was found shot and
stabbed at her Penfield home, her brother Cyril Winebrenner was already
on the run.
Winebrenner had come to stay with his sister Tabatha, her husband Kevin
and their children in September 2002, and briefly worked with Kevin at
his law firm.
Winebrenner says Kevin later called on him for another job that of hit
man.
In a statement in August of 2003 released Thursday, Winebrenner tells
police that Tabatha was having an affair, and Kevin wanted to pay him
$5,000.00 to kill her.
At first, Winebrenner tried to frame his sister for drug dealing, but
that fell through.
Then in early July 2003, Winebrenner says Kevin told him it was time.
"Kevin said that the situation had gotten out of hand and that
something had to be done immediately. If I didn't take care of it, then
myself and cassy would be a liability that he couldn't deal with."
On July 13th at 11 at night, Winebrenner says he and his girlfriend
Cassidy Green drove to the Bryant home with a 22-caliber rifle. He says
they called Kevin to make sure the doors were unlocked. He then entered
with the gun, found his sister sleeping on the couch and hesitated to
shoot.
That's when Winebrenner says Kevin looked at him and told him to do it.
The two argued and he says Kevin grabbed the gun and shot two to three
rounds. Then Winebrenner says he grabbed a kitchen knife and began
stabbing his sister. "Tabatha was still on the pullout bed, and I just
started stabbing her. I'm not exactly sure how many times I stabbed
her, but I remember stabbing her in the throat, and how she started
rolling around on the bed."
Winebrenner says he and Cassidy green left afterwards and got rid of
his clothes and gun.
In giving his statement, Winebrenner appears aware of the consequence
of his statement. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of
second-degree murder.
He says: "I want to tell everyone that I am not trying to get ouf of
this or the guilt associated with. I fully understand the severity of
my actions and I'm prepared to take the punishment what ever is deemed
fit by my peers."
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