PA PA - Nicole Lynn Bryner, 3, Pittsburgh, 11 March 1982

missacorah · #1 02-04-2006, 06:07 PM

This gorgeous little girl has been missing since 1982 when she was 3 years old. She was with her mother in a supermarket and was sitting in a shopping cart. When her mother turned around to get something Nicole just seemed to disappear! Nicole disappeared from Pittsburgh.

audrey77 · #2 02-04-2006, 07:24 PM

Here's a link- if this helps: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/201dfpa.html

Quote:

Nicole Bryner's mother told police her daughter was abducted March 9, 1982 at a Giant Eagle in the South Side.
An extensive search provided few clues as to her whereabouts. Four years later, the mother's then-boyfriend allegedly confessed he had punched Bryner and accidentally killed her. Police never found the body he allegedly buried in a wooded area along Timberland Road in Brookline. Charges were never brought against the suspect, despite the alleged confession he made while serving time on burglary charges. Nicole has never been found.

missacorah · #3 02-05-2006, 05:35 PM

Thanks Audrey77, how sad! I was hanging onto the hope that someone had took a shine to the little girl and perhaps taken her and brought her up as their own...

michelle · #4 02-05-2006, 05:38 PM

so was the mother covering up for the boyfriend then?

2sisters · #5 02-05-2006, 06:05 PM

There is a little more info on charleyproject.org. The charges were dropped against the boyfriend for lack of evidence (even though he confessed?) The mother was arrested for hindering prosecution and lying to authorities. The boyfried claims she helped him bury Nicole.

michelle · #6 02-05-2006, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2sisters

There is a little more info on charleyproject.org. The charges were dropped against the boyfriend for lack of evidence (even though he confessed?) The mother was arrested for hindering prosecution and lying to authorities. The boyfried claims she helped him bury Nicole.

I cant believe that they couldnt charge him....Lock them both up!!

missacorah · #7 02-07-2006, 11:16 AM

Absolutely! How could a mother side with someone who had taken their childs life? I would feel justice had not been done till I had taken theirs - never mind help them get out of it by disposing of the body!

2sisters · #8 02-07-2006, 01:36 PM

I just can't belive that there wasn't enough evidence. He confessed to killing her!

meggilyweggily · #9 02-14-2006, 12:57 AM

There needs to be more than a confession to prove murder. Nutcases confess all the time to crimes they did not commit. The police have to be able to corroborate the statement, for example if they had Nicole's body, or a witness to the murder, something like that.

Usher737 · #10 09-27-2006, 01:26 PM

UPDATE

They are filing charges again against the mother's boyfriend.

Several new articles today about this case. Her body has never been found.
http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_270063701.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06270/725382-100.stm

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_472436.html

This is a very sad case. This little girl suffered and no one did anything to help her. I wonder why the aunt did not step in and take her.

missacorah · #11 09-28-2006, 04:33 AM

Thank you so much for posting this. I cant believe I only looked Nicole up at the start of the week and now this break through! I am delighted. Do we know how her mother died?

missacorah · #12 09-28-2006, 04:38 AM

There has been a break through in this case. Please see the other thread in Cold Cases for links.

Widman, the mothers boyfriend who initailly confessed to the crime has been arrested. It is not known what new evidence has been found but its not thought to be Nicoles body. He is now 51 years old and is currently in jail.

This has always been one of my 'pet cases' if you like and I look Nicole up often - delighted with this! You never know what other cases will finally be solved or have progress made on them!

Usher737 · #13 09-28-2006, 10:06 AM

Her sister, Marie, claims she suffered a breakdown. She was digging up her front yard in Texas looking for Nicole. She also said that complications from back surgery had something to do with it. Marie claims Widman hit Melody as well and threatened her not to tell the police what happened. Rumors had it they both did drugs. Another case of a mother choosing her boyfriend and his lifestyle rather than being a good parent. I think she died of a guilty conscience.

Another article from today talks about the police investigation back in 1982 and 1986.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06271/725735-53.stm

missacorah · #14 09-28-2006, 10:36 AM

Its amazing isnt it - how many choose their partners freedom over their own flesh and blood? But how can they possibly carry on 'as normal' after that? Isnt there any resentment from the childs relative towards their childs killer? Or is their 'love' really that blind!

kwatson696 · #15 09-28-2006, 12:14 PM

Police make arrest in child killing 25 years ago

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

By Moustafa Ayad, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nicole Lynn Bryner before she disappeared at age 3.

Police last night charged a woman's once live-in boyfriend with the death of her child whom the woman had claimed was abducted almost a quarter century ago from a South Side supermarket. Timothy Wayne Widman, 51, was arraigned this morning on homicide and related charges in the 1982 killing of Nicole Lynn Bryner, then 3.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06270/725382-100.stm

MagicRose99 · #16 09-28-2006, 03:24 PM

I believe that that poor excuse for a mother ought to be charged too! She obviously lied about an abduction to cover up the boyfriend's crime... may they both rot for what they did to that little girl.

mfmangel1 · #17 09-28-2006, 05:17 PM

"I believe my Uncle Tim should not be charged for a murder he did not commit," said the suspect's niece, Daymea Widman.

She is angry with Bryner's mother for making up that story about Nicole's disappearance after she, Melody Thomas, knew that Nicole died accidentally after Widman struck her.
.
"I'm upset more or less with the mother," said Daymea Widman. "It's sad that she died, but I wish she was still alive to be charged and not my uncle. It's sad to say she went to her grave waiting for her baby to come home when she knew what happened to her daughter."

Unbelievable! Yes, the mother was also at fault, but the niece thinks that absolves her uncle?!?! Ummmm....He confessed!

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_270221510.html

SewingDeb · #18 09-28-2006, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicRose99

I believe that that poor excuse for a mother ought to be charged too! She obviously lied about an abduction to cover up the boyfriend's crime... may they both rot for what they did to that little girl.

I agree with you MagicRose.

Bobbisangel · #19 09-28-2006, 11:51 PM

What a little doll baby. The mother lied yet the boyfriend admitted at the time that he hit the little girl and she died.....yet they dropped the charges because the didn't have the body???? Why did they need the body if he admitted it? The mom should be charged to...she lied.

So how were they able to bring charges now without the body? Boy I'm confused!

mfmangel1 · #20 09-29-2006, 12:58 AM

The mother is deceased. She has to answer to a higher authority than earthly justice.

missacorah · #21 09-29-2006, 04:22 AM

Brilliant news. How this piece of **** has been able to carry on with his life after what he has done. I read on one of the other Nicole threads that her mum suffered some kind of breakdown before her death and was found digging up her yard searching for her daughter etc.

missacorah · #22 09-29-2006, 04:27 AM

My thoughts exactly - they dont seem to be the brightest people in the world do they? Surely his sister knew he admited to it all that time ago and has obviously stuck by him anyway so why should she change her opinion now?Probably assumed that as so much time had passed he would get away with it!

TrulyBlessed · #23 09-29-2006, 10:33 AM

I read an article about her case. In the article, the reason given for the boyfriend not being charged at that time was the fact that state law prevented him from being charged without corroborating evidence (ie. a body). The law was put into place to protect mentally challenged or unstable persons from being charged or convicted of a crime that he/she didn't commit. Nicole's mother died in 2001. It's a shame that he is just now paying for it, but better late than never.

meggilyweggily · #24 09-29-2006, 08:20 PM

They say the case against Nicole's mom had to be dropped because Widman refused to testify. I don't see why he couldn't have been forced to testify. They weren't married so it's not like he could have claimed spousal immunity.

missacorah · #25 09-30-2006, 09:01 AM

Yes thats right. Do you think that Nicoles mother digging in her garden for Nicole and having imaginary phone conversations with her etc shows any kind of remorse? I wonder why when she broke up with Widman did she never turn him in? She must have been involved in a big way herself.