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In 2016, a Virginia Beach spa worker named Justin Cornell was convicted of killing and dismembering his ex-girlfriend and co-worker, Brianna Armstrong, and dumping her remains in the Great Dismal Swamp. The latter initially went missing in May 2015. Following this, her dismembered body parts were disposed of in trash bags, which were found nearly a month later by a cyclist.
A jury found Cornell guilty based on evidence found at the scene where the body parts were found and from his house, which were reportedly more than enough to link him to the grisly crime. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
According to reports, Justin Cornell is currently serving his lengthy serving sentence at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center in Brunswick County, Virginia.
The Body in the Swamp on ID will further delve into Brianna Armstrong's case this Thursday, January 12, 2023. The official synopsis states:
"When a highly reliable employee of a Virginia Beach, Va., day spa fails to show up for work, her co-workers fear the worst; several weeks later, a cyclist makes a horrifying discovery that will forever change the lives of those who love her."
Mounting evidence against Brianna Armstrong's former co-worker, Justin Cornell, led to an arrest in the disappearance and dismemberment murder
According to CBS, in June 2015, authorities charged Justin Cornell, 38, in the death and dismemberment of a 43-year-old Brianna Armstrong from Chesapeake, Virginia. Armstrong, like Cornell, was a massage therapist whose mutilated remains were found in trash bags near the Dismal Swamp Canal several weeks after she was reported missing.
Armstrong's husband, Corey Creek, reported her missing on May 9, roughly two days after he last saw her. Her dismembered remains were reportedly discovered close to the Dismal Swamp Canal on May 31. An autopsy revealed that the victim was only murdered three or four days before her remains were discovered, suggesting that she was kept alive while they were investigating her disappearance.
Both Brianna Armstrong and her suspected killer Justin Cornell worked as massage therapists at Knuckles N' Knots. Mark Harris, the manager, told WTKR that:
"You think if maybe I had noticed something, we could have averted the tragedy. I knew that they were close. I knew that they would work together and come to each other's shop and I know that Brianna would occasionally see Justin to get a massage."
Harris also claimed that he sacked Cornell from the job for unrelated reasons shortly after Armstrong was reported missing.
On May 31, 2015, as soon as Brianna Armstrong's dismembered remains were discovered, investigators searched the entire Dismal Swamp Canal region for evidence. They discovered a receipt with Justin Cornell's name on it, along with pieces of latex gloves and a pair of underwear.
Investigators then conducted a search of his home, where they found Armstrong's blood on the carpet, identical trash bags that were used to dispose of her body parts, and similar latex gloves, among other pieces of evidence. In addition, they realized that Cornell resided close to the shopping center where Brianna's abandoned car was discovered. He was then arrested and charged with murder.
Where is Justin Cornell now?
In 2016, Justin Cornell's case eventually went to trial, where his defense team insisted on his innocence. They emphasized that there was no direct physical evidence or eyewitness that could connect him to the crime and that all the evidence against him was circumstantial.
The defense team even went as far as to accuse Brianna's husband, Corey Creek, of being the killer, claiming that he had ulterior motives because of her infidelity. However, the jury returned with a guilty verdict, convicting Cornell of second-degree murder.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the maximum sentence for the charge, and is reportedly still serving time at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center in Brunswick County, Virginia.
