A Fairfax County, Virginia, man who prosecutors say killed his landlord and hid her body for weeks pleaded guilty to murder on Monday, two years later.
Brian Sayrs, 27, took a plea deal for second-degree murder and concealing a body, admitting Monday in court that he killed 72-year-old Emily Lu and then hid her body in the woods in Lorton, Virginia.
Sayrs will be sentenced in January and, according to the plea deal, he could face from 22 to 32 years in prison.
Lu, who rented a room in her home to Sayrs, was last seen on June 3, 2021. 51 days later, Sayrs took police to her body, where it was lying in a wooded area near Dudley Drive and Laurel Crest Drive, about two miles from her home.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement that the search for Lu’s body “devastated” the community.
“To this day, we still don’t know exactly how she was killed, but we know that the individual who was responsible will face accountability for his actions,” Descano said. “I hope today’s guilty verdict provides a measure of healing for her family and loved ones.”
Lu’s daughter Jennifer Ball was present at the hearing and agreed to the plea agreement. She will also attend the sentencing hearing.
