Mindy Brenyi – Murderer or victim?
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.
January 21, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I watched this trial and listened to a teenage girl who couldn’t see past her own selfish wants. In her eyes, “the world is so unfair” and her parents made rules just to hurt her. When she shot her Father all she was concerned with was HERSELF. It was only after she realized the trouble she was in did she MAKE UP that horrible story of abuse. An EVIL person is one that will forsake all other for their own selfish wants. Not only did she kill her Dad for trying to parent her (when her mother wouldn’t) but then, without shame or guilt, she lied to the world about HIS character. All along, she was the EVIL one. I’m so very glad the jury saw through her.
May 3, 2008 at 2:06 am
I do not believe she was evil. I see a girl abused and so mentally changed by a life of abuse as to be provoked to homicide. In watching her verdict on 48 hours, I see her as numb to life in general and having been forced to numb out for life, she is now being forced to again be abused by the system who don’t recognize her as mentally ill as a direct effect of her father’s abuse. Very sad story.
May 3, 2008 at 2:16 am
As a child of MASSIVE physical as well as Emotional abuse, how I did not kill my father, or myself is beyond me. Did I tell anyone about the abuse? HELL NO, no one cared if I was being abused or not and I didn’t want the repercussions of what would happen to me when my father found out I had told someone. I often plotted on how I could kill both of my parents, or how I might kill myself, or how I could get out of my life of abuse. I often went to school with bruises from the middle of my back to tjust above my knees. I would either get to gym class late or wait until everyone else was already out of the locker room before I would change into my gym clothes. If anyone saw the bruises on my legs, I LIED to hide the fact that I was being beaten. It was embarrassing. I wanted out desperately. If my father ever owned a gun, I did not know where it was kept and I am sure he did have shotguns and rifles as he often would go to turkey shoots. My father had a HORRID temper. I blamed my mother for doing nothing at all. I had a life of sexual abuse from a brother and couldn’t get out of that either because in my parents eyes, he could do no wrong. I don’t know how I ever survived my childhood. I was the youngest of 5 who was spanked daily with a belt for wetting the bed and the reason i wet the bed was because I couldn’t make myself go down the hallway to the bathroom in fear I would wake my brother up. It took me 8 yrs of intensive therapy to get over my childhood of abuse and I do remember plotting to kill my parents, my brother and if I had, I feel at the time it would have been JUSTIFIED and I probably would have been sent off just like Mindy, because other than the immediate family and suspicions from Aunts and Uncles, no one knew and even with the suspicions, no one did anything, it wasn’t any of their business. Kids hide sexual, physical and emothional abuse because they cannot bear the embarrassment on top of the pain they suffer daily!! JMO
May 3, 2008 at 2:19 am
I watched this trial and cried for what happened to Mindy. There is no doubt she was afraid and traumatized. She was let down by everyone in her life and I pray for her.