Deceased/Not Found TN - Marsha Brantley, 51, Cleveland, May 2009 *Arrest*

According to the FB page, the civil trial has been delayed. :(

https://www.facebook.com/groups/109460872422148/?fref=nf

According to the FB post, he has relinquished rights to her property, and Marsha has been declared deceased.

Still here hoping for justice for Marsha!

Thanks cocomod. There aren't too many of us who follow this case, as it is an all too common occurrence, where a spouse simply 'disappears'. I too am desperately hoping for justice for Marsha, a quiet voice that deserves to be heard.
 
BCSO arrests Donnie Brantley for the murder of his wife in cold case

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/34043791/bcso-arrests-donnie-brantley-for-the-murder-of-his-wife-in-cold-case

Bradley County investigators believe they've solved a 7-year-old cold case.

Authorities announced Tuesday they have charged Donnie Brantley with 1st degree premeditated murder in the death of Marsha Brantley between May 1st and July 31st of 2009. Deputies say this is the second time Brantley has been charged with his wife's murder, all previous charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Investigators are still searching for Marsha's body. Her family has declared her deceased. District Attorney Steve Crump wouldn't say what new evidence led to his decision on moving forward with the case but he did say the victim's family was behind him.

Brantley was arraigned before a judge Tuesday afternoon, he told the judge his family was in the process of hiring an attorney.

Deputies are still gathering evidence, they've asked anyone with information that could help investigators to please come forward.

Brantley is being held on a $250,000 dollars bond. He's due back in court Tuesday December 20th for an attorney status hearing.
 
:praying:

Hopefully they have enough to hold him this time!!
 
What wonderful news!!!

:happydance:

But why do I have that anxious knot in the pit of my stomach? I really wish they had found Marsha's body by now and perhaps I would feel more confident that they would nail the conviction.

It's not often that I deeply truly believe someone is guilty before they have a chance to defend themselves -- I believe in 'innocent until proven guilty' and I don't want anyone falsely convicted just because they look guilty. However, this is one case where it's pretty difficult to imagine Donnie didn't do it. His behavior and actions after the fact are very damning.

I look forward to seeing justice for Marsha. And, with no living parents, siblings or children, Marsha's extended family deserves recognition for steadfastly pursing this case as advocates for Marsha.

To me this case represents those many women who are killed by their spouse/boyfriend/ex yet don't have a voice. Perhaps it was because it was one of the first cases I followed after joining WS. By all accounts Marsha was a lovely, quiet, soft-hearted spirit, and unfortunately there are too many other "Marshas" out there who die at the hands of domestic violence.
 
http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/das-office-creating-cold-case-task-force,49114

The recent arrest of Donnie Ray Brantley for a murder that reportedly occurred in 2009 was due to many different agencies working together...

The case has helped in plans for creation of a Cold Case Task Force for the 10th Judicial District (Bradley, Polk, McMinn and Monroe counties).

“It’s not entirely in place,” District Attorney Steve Crump said. “We took a file that we frankly knew we wanted to go back to the grand jury with, and we wanted to apply the process of working a cold case"...

Crump said he spoke with other district attorneys whose offices had cold case task forces to find out how they were created and their successes. Crump and others from his office met with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s office to discuss the task force there.
 
PD’s office is assigned to Brantley
By ALLEN MINCEY Banner Staff Writer| December 21, 2016 11:26am

The 10th Judicial District Public Defender’s Office will represent Donnie Ray Brantley when he appears in Bradley County Criminal Court in 2017.

Judge Andrew Freiberg assigned the public defender’s office in court on Tuesday. Brantley’s next appearance in court will be on Feb. 13.

When Brantley went before Freiberg earlier this month, he said his family was attempting to secure a private attorney to represent him. Freiberg set a Dec. 20 date for status on an attorney, and when Brantley was unable to retain an attorney by Tuesday, assigned the public defender’s office . . .
 
Court schedules motion date in Donnie Brantley murder case
By ALLEN MINCEY Banner Staff Writer | Posted Tuesday, February 14, 2017 | 10:50am

On Monday, a motion hearing was set for Brantley for April 4.

“We may not set a trial date (on April 4), but should start a scheduling order that day,” said 10th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Crump.

It has been seven years since his wife, Marsha Brantley, was last seen, and 10th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Crump said that, "It is our belief, and the grand jury found, that between the first day of May 2009, and the 31st of May 2009, that he committed the act that led to her death, and that that act was done in a premeditated and deliberate fashion."

(. . .)The Brantley case has led to the creation of a Cold Case Task Force, which will be looking at unsolved homicides and go through rape kits that have been stored with the district.
 
Court schedules motion date in Donnie Brantley murder case
By ALLEN MINCEY Banner Staff Writer | Posted Tuesday, February 14, 2017 | 10:50am

It has been seven years since his wife, Marsha Brantley, was last seen

It has been seven years since I joined Websleuths. Marsha's case is one of the first ones I followed. There is nothing that would make me happier than a resolution to this case.

Donnie strikes me as the textbook case for the self-centered spouse...who wants to control and it's all about him.

Donnie, there are many others like you out there and, well, you all suck! Look at yourself in the mirror. Pretend your mother is looking at you. Is she proud? Are you proud? Marsha is, and always will be, on a higher plane than you. That's what you didn't understand.

Peace out.
 
Donnie Brantley trial date set by court for February

http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/donnie-brantley-trial-date-set-by-court-for-february,60819

Donnie Ray Brantley, the man accused in the murder of his estranged wife in 2009, will be free on bond pending his trial set for early February 2018.

Several dates for court appearances for Brantley were set in Bradley County Criminal Court on Monday, including setting the trial for first-degree murder beginning on Feb. 5, 2018. That day has been set aside to seat a jury for the trial of the man accused of the death of Marsha Brantley.
 
Waiting less than patiently for Donnie's trial. Hopefully it's still set to start Feb. 5. Too long for justice for Marsha.
 
From Marsha's Aunt, facebook page;
"Finally I am able to tell you that Donnie Brantley will go on trial, for first degree premeditated murder, on Monday the 5th of February in Cleveland. It has been such a long time since Marsha went missing and I felt like this day would never get here. Please pray that justice will be served. I have faith that Donnie will be found guilty but whatever the outcome that the truth will come forth. My desire is to find Marsha and put her to rest.
I know Marsha has many friends in the Cleveland area and hope you will come out and show your love for Marsha by supporting her in the courtroom. We need your presence to show the judge that Marsha does have family and friends. Donnie has admitted he does not have any friends. I thank you all for your friendship throughout this whole ordeal, you have gone far beyond what was expected of you. Thank you so much.
Hope to see you on the 5th."
 
All Charges Dropped again against Donnie Brantley: https://wdef.com/2018/02/05/bradley-county-cold-case-dismissed/

:notgood:

Unbelievably sad.

District Attorney Steve Crump tells News 12 this morning that he didn’t feel there was enough evidence, but he also says they aren’t giving up. The case will go to their Cold Case Unit.

“That involves going back to your basic building blocks of the case and all of the assumptions you made and tearing those apart and making new assumptions and going forward and retesting where you can and trying to locate things that you thought were probably not locatable,” Crump said.

I found it interesting in the video that Donnie's daughter said, "I think it's shown that he's.....that there's no case here." It seemed like she was about to say he was innocent and then stopped in her tracks to comment on the case. I'm probably reading too much into that but it jumped out at me.
 
Saturday April 7th on CBS 48 hours will be about Marsha Brantley. Her aunt has posted this on Marsha's facebook page.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
163
Guests online
2,312
Total visitors
2,475

Forum statistics

Threads
589,946
Messages
17,928,043
Members
228,010
Latest member
idrainuk
Back
Top