It was in the year 1995 that a desperate sixteen year old, Mindy Brenyi, stole her father’s shotgun and then killed him with it. Mindy’s stepmother came home to find the girl with the gun to her own head. She was able to talk Mindy out of the suicide, however, and Mindy gave a confession to the Paulding County Sheriff Department.
Mindy Brenyi claimed that her father had abused her sexually, physically, and emotionally for years. She became pregnant, and did not know how to tell her father. Claiming that she originally planned on only killing herself, Mindy described her father coming home early, and thinking that he was going to kill her.
Joni Berenyi, Mindy’s stepmother, had a different story, however. She claims that Andy Brenyi was a good father – strict, but not abusive. Mindy’s own grandparents describe her as a rebellious teen, lying, doing drugs, and stealing things from the family. They felt as if Andy had to enforce strict rules to keep his daughter in line.
Not everybody is against Mindy, however. Her mother, Shirley, sides with her daughter. Shirley claims that Andy had been abusive towards her, and so she left him and the children.
Mindy plead no contest to murder in 1996, and was halfway through her minimum 10-year sentence, however at that time, battered child syndrome was not an accepted defense. In 1998, Mindy and her attorney rejected a plea bargain and decided to pursue an acquittal. That year, Mindy was on trial for a third time.
Mindy’s story went that she went to the bathroom to kill herself, but she began to have second thoughts since she was pregnant. The prosecutor asked why she chose the bathroom that she did choose. Why the kitchen bathroom when she could have chosen a bedroom bathroom? The kitchen bathroom could be the perfect room to plot the murder of her father. He also claimed that there was no confrontation, as Andy was shot in the back, approximately forty feet away.
Mindy’s mother, Shirley, was a witness in the trial, and claimed that Andy was abusive and violent to bother her, and their children. Shirley claimed that Mindy even begged to be helped, however, she could not offer details so Shirley did not do anything about it. Mindy’s lawyer also claimed that she was diagnosed as depressed, suicidal, and homicidal. After spending at least nine days in the hospital, nobody was aware of the abuse. A child abuse investigator was called in when Mindy started running away, and on trial, she agreed that there were signs of emotional abuse.
The jury deliberated for a full day, 24 hours, and reached the verdict – guilty of aggravated murder. Mindy was sentenced to life in prison, and would be eligible for parole in 23 years. Mindy appealed her conviction, however, the appeal was denied by the Ohio Supreme Court.
