Spring City Murder Suspect Faces Preliminary Hearing

SPRING CITY PA – A 31-year-old Spring City borough resident is scheduled for a March 3 (2022; Thursday) preliminary hearing in the 2021 alleged murder of his girlfriend, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office reported.

District Attorney Deb Ryan said Leroy Brahm has been charged with first- and third-degree murder, strangulation, aggravated assault, and related offenses for numerous assaults in the Dec. 4 death of 21-year-old Annabel Meenan.

Brahm earlier was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person for beating Meenan, and was held on $1 million bail set by Magisterial District Judge John Hipple. With addition of the murder and strangulation charges, Brahm is now being held without bail.

The Chester County Coroner’s Office ruled the victim’s death a homicide on Feb. 14, after additional testing was completed on the case.

Meenan “suffered as a victim of domestic abuse over a lengthy period of time” Brahm’s hands, Ryan claimed. “The defendant viciously, intentionally, and callously beat her to death, all of which was captured on home security videos.” Her office, Ryan added, “will do everything in its power” to hold Brahm accountable for every injury he inflicted.

Allegations in the complaint

A detail of allegations released by Ryan’s office reported:

• East Vincent Township Police were called Dec. 4 to the 800 block of Buttonwood Avenue in Spring City for the report of a medical emergency. Upon arrival, they found the unresponsive victim lying on the living room floor, with wounds and extensive bruising to her face, chest, arms, and legs. The defendant was at the scene when police and EMS arrived.
• Police started CPR with the assistance of Friendship Ambulance. The victim was transported to Phoenixville Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Doctors told investigators the victim had extensive trauma to her head and face, and had lacerations and bruising on the rest of her body, including her arms, legs, torso, and pelvic area.
• Investigators discovered bloodstains on the property’s kitchen walls, a shattered glass door on the oven, a hole in the wall, and the victim’s damaged cell phone on the floor. The defendant’s hand, finger, and elbow had bruising and swelling.
• Later that day, a search warrant was executed at the residence, where several home security videos were retrieved. The videos showed the defendant assaulting the victim on multiple dates before the victim’s death.

Chester County Detectives and East Vincent Police are continuing their investigations. Assistant District Attorneys Kate Wright and Kate Lewis are the assigned prosecutors. Anyone with information that may assist in the case is asked to call Detective Christine Bleiler at 610-344-6866.

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