News Photo by Julie Riddle
As Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski, center, and 1st Lt. John Grimshaw, commander of the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post, listen, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, on screen, on Wednesday speaks at a press conference at the Alpena Post announcing murder charges related to the 2021 deaths of Abby Hill and Brynn Bills.
ALPENA — Prosecutors filed murder charges today against Brad Srebnik and Joshua Wirgau, more than a year after police found the bodies of Alpena teen Brynn Bills and Alpena woman Abby Hill
Charges filed in Alpena’s 88th District Court by the Attorney General’s Office in conjunction with the Alpena County Prosecutor’s Office accuse Srebnik of two counts of premeditated murder, disinterment and mutilation of a body, and weapons charges. Wirgau faces charges of premeditated murder, disinterment and mutilation of a body, accessory after the fact to a felony, and weapons charges.
Many details about the deaths must remain protected until revealed in court, Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski said at a press conference at the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post this morning.
An assistant attorney general confirmed that police believe Bills died shortly after she was last seen, around the beginning of August 2021.
Police found her body buried in Wirgau’s back yard the following month.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, appearing at the press conference virtually, said police believe Srebnik and Wirgau killed Hill because she knew too much about Bills’ death.
Both men will appear in court on Thursday — potentially virtually — for arraignment, after which they will be assigned attorneys.
Check back for updates.